Earthquake
by sns1323
Summary: When a new force threatens Narnia, will Caspian be able to handle it himself? Will the Pevensies return, even if it's not by Aslan's hand? And will an old love rekindle? Suspian
1. Chapter 1

Alright. Here is the first chapter of my new Suspian Narnia story, "Earthquake," taken from The Used song. Listen to the song, and you'll understand why I chose this title. Don't expect a new chapter every day, because I'm going to be meticulous with my writing, and I want to make it perfect. So please enjoy the story, review, and be honest. If you don't like something, TELL ME. Here's the summary, and then the story…ENJOY.

**Summary**: After Lucy and Edmund leave Narnia their third time, and new threat approaches the now peaceful country. Will Caspian be able to handle the oncoming war himself, or will he need to call upon the power of the Kings and Queens of Old? And will old love rekindle?

* * *

Baby, I'm not alright when you go. I'm not fine.

* * *

Susan was sitting in her favorite chair, reading her favorite book again. It was a story that the professor had written about their adventures in Narnia the first time they had been there. She remembered Lucy giving the professor every detail she could remember. The war with the White Witch, Aslan, Mr. Tumnus, and how her big brothers and sisters had saved the day. Susan felt a lump growing in her throat as she slowly closed the book. She always felt this way after reading the chronicles of their adventures.

Ever since Lucy and Edmund had come back from their third trip to Narnia, Susan couldn't help but find herself thinking more and more about Caspian. Lucy had said he didn't seem like himself while they were there, like he was missing something. Susan had been worried when Lucy and Edmund had told her this; although the two younger siblings knew the real reason Caspian had felt slightly distant.

"_Aslan, what is wrong with Caspian?" Lucy asked. Aslan just smiled down at the young queen. _

"_My dear little one, Caspian is going through the hardships that all men and women go through when torn away from their love," Aslan answered in his deep, intelligent voice. He sat down, proud and strong, next to Lucy, who absent mindedly stroked his mane. _

"_You mean Susan?" Lucy inquired. Aslan just nodded, "She misses him too, Aslan. She'll be so pleased to hear that Caspian does feel the same!"_

_Aslan's smile faded from his face, "Lucy, you know very well that you shouldn't tell Susan about Caspian's feelings. She has to move on, it is near impossible for her and Caspian to be together again," he said, sadness seeping into his voice. Lucy looked down. She knew that what he said was true. It wasn't fair to drag Susan's feelings for Caspian out longer. _

_Suddenly, there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach. It took her a moment to figure out what that feeling was. She felt her heart lift, and she felt as though anything was possible. There was only one thing this feeling could be: hope. _

"_I think they will be together again. Maybe not soon, but they will be together again," Lucy said, looking out to the sea from the rock they had been sitting on just outside of Cair Paravel Aslan looked down at his young friend._

"_Lucy, you know it's nearly impossible for them to ever meet again," Aslan said._

_Lucy just smiled and looked up at the great lion, "Just like it was nearly impossible for an entire world to be in the back of a wardrobe?" Aslan smiled. She made a very good point._

Susan got up from her chair. It was an extraordinarily hot June in London, and she felt the need for a bit of fresh air. She walked out into the professor's giant backyard. The Pevensie children wanted to return to the professor's mansion for the summer. Ever since their first time in Narnia, they had wanted to spend every moment possible at the professor's house. He always accepted them with opened arms, and listened to their exciting and heroic tales of Narnia. The Pevensie parents pondered about why the children had a sudden interest in always being at the professors, but they just figured that they enjoyed the large house and servants to get whatever they needed, but the children and the professor knew the real reason. He would always say, "One day, my dear children, the world will now of the wonders you have encountered."

Peter was going back to Oxford at the end of the summer to begin his second year, and Lucy and Edmund were going back to prep school. Susan was starting her first year at Sarah Lawrence University in New York City at the end of August. She had enjoyed the trip to America with her parents, and new that New York City would suit her just fine. Although she would be thousands of miles from her siblings and she would miss them terribly, they would never become distant, and they would write every week.

Susan was looking forward to her upcoming college-life. She knew the classes weren't going to be too much of a challenge, considering she already lived a lifetime as Queen, and her major was political science. It was the new experiences she was excited for. Since leaving Narnia the year before, she felt bored, and needed something new in her life. She prayed college would fill this gap, and maybe she would find someone to fill in Caspian's place.

Susan knew her feelings for Caspian would take a lifetime to get over, even though she felt silly about them. He was probably over her, and looking for a new queen to sit beside him on the throne over Talmarine and Narnia. She hoped she would be able to distract herself with her studies, until maybe, someday, she realizes she would be able to move on.

As Susan walked outside, she saw all three of her siblings sitting by the small pond, feeding the ducks with pieces of bread that the cook had snuck them from the kitchen. She smiled, and sat beside Peter.

"Finally done reading that book for the hundredth time, are we?" Peter said, smirking to his sister. Susan just laid back and soaked in the heat from the sun.

"Yes, actually. And it still amazes me that the professor had anything non-cowardly to say about you in his book. What an absolute lie," Susan joked. Peter looked at his sister, and proceeded to splash her with water from the pond. Susan shrieked at the cold water hit her legs and face. Lucy and Edmund giggled uncontrollably as they watched their two older siblings fight, eventually with Susan winning as she pushed Peter back into the pond. Susan stood triumphantly.

"And that's what you get when you mess with Queen Susan, the Gentle," Susan laughed, smiling at the irony of the statement. Peter just stood up from the pond with a defeated look on his face.

"Yea yea yea Susan, quite gloating," Peter said, wringing his shirt out and flopping besides his younger brother and sisters, "Just be lucky I was being easy on you."

Edmund gave a rather loud snort, earning a glare from his older brother. "I know, I know, you had it sort," Edmund said, mocking his brother and his commonly used phrase every time Edmund would try to get involved. Peter just rolled his eyes. Although he hated to admit it, Edmund had the sharpest wit and sense of humor out of anyone he knew. Although he had the physical appearance of a 17 year old boy, he had the soul and mind of someone who had lived a lifetime as a King of Narnia.

At this moment, Lucy decided that it was about time she got involved in this fight, splashing both her brothers, and sprinting off into the house with her brothers on her close on her heels. Susan laughed whole heartedly at the entire scene being played out. It was the first time in months she had laughed with all her being, and Lucy knew this. Finally, things were starting to get back to normal.

* * *

Caspian looked around at the sight that was in front of him. He was in the process of rebuilding the army that had been savagely torn apart and abused by his uncle, the former evil dictator. His new army was planning on consisting of Talmarine soldiers, and also of Narnians who volunteered their services to ensure the peaceful existence between the two countries. Caspian had put Trumpkin and Reepicheep in charge of the Narnian division of the army.

The first action he had made as king was to make sure that Narnia and Talmarine would never again be at war, and would be powerful allies against any other nations that felt the need to attack these lands.

"Your Majesty," Reepicheep called as he ran towards the new king, "The head count of Narnian soldiers has reached nearly 20,000 troops. I think this is a very sufficient amount of soldiers to create an entire army, let alone half of one," he finished, smiling up at Caspian.

"I am very pleased to hear that, Reepicheep. A powerful army consisting of both countries' men is a very good thing to have. Tell your men that they are free to continue doing as they wish in their professions, and that they will be called upon in time of war, just as Talmarine soldiers will be." The mouse bowed gracefully, and hurried back to his flanks to deliver the message. Caspian was happy with the vigor that the army had sent through the land. Talmarine economy was prospering, and the people were happy. He could not ask for anything more.

The only problem was, he felt incomplete, like there was something that had yet to be done, or something he did not have that he was missing terribly. Deep down he knew what it was, but he had to put that thought aside. She wasn't coming back. Aslan had made that perfectly clear. Lucy and Edmund had only left a few months earlier, but he knew they would not be coming back.

He had to move on, and he was trying very hard. It was turning out to be a difficult task. He found himself dreaming about the last time he had seen her. The kiss they had shared in front of the entire Talmarine population. Every time he thought about that moment, his lips tingled, and he found himself hoping she still felt the same as he did. He scolded himself thinking she would still have feelings. She must have found someone else by now, it had been over a year. He knew he would never find another woman like her, beautiful, talented, strong, brilliant, and powerful in all of his lifetime, and half of him wanted to leave it that way, while the other half knew he would need to find a wife and have an heir to the thrown.

He took a walk to clear his mind, and went to the place where he would always go to be alone. He stood in the middle of Cair Paravel, looking out onto the ocean. He felt the warm breeze on his face, and breathed in deeply. At that exact moment, he felt something in the pit of his stomach: hope.

* * *

"A son of Adam will be slain for what he has committed. My sister, my blood, my flesh, will be avenged! All of Narnia will be doomed to feel my wrath!"

In a distant world not yet well known by the creatures of Narnia, a powerful woman released and agonizing cry that echoed through the great halls of her castle, made of rubies and blood diamonds. She had just been told what has become of her sister. It had taken nearly 1300 years for the news to travel to this distant land, but the rage that it had created would soon be felt within all of Narnia in a matter of a few months.

Lilith felt her blood boil in her veins. Her heart beat faster. Her younger sister, named Jadis by their mother, had been killed. Lilith and Jadis were the Daughters of Lilith, the sisters to the Sons of Adam and the stepsisters to the Daughters of Eve. Lilith was the Queen of her own country of crimson blood, once ruling side by side with her sister. When Jadis had stumbled upon Narnia, Lilith had allowed her to stay there, while ruling her blood country herself.. Now that her sister was killed, she would avenge her namesake's youngest daughter, her sister, and would take over Narnia to once again be ruled with power and blood.

The new King of Talmarine had no chance at defending his allie country, the now ruler less Narnia. She would take back control as a Daughter of Lilith. The blood red light of the castle made Lilith's face seem as though there was a layer of blood surging underneath her skin as she promised to all the gods above her, that she would kill the one who killed her sister.

* * *

**FIRST CHAPTER COMPLETED!** I know it was kind of short, but I needed to just lay the base down to build on later. Yes, there is a lot of Suspian reference in this chapter, but I just wanted to make sure everyone still understood that they are in love. The story won't be only based on this, but it IS a big theme. I hope you enjoyed it, and stay posted for the next chapters! Let me know your opinions, review. Oh, and thank you Eslya, my editor. She worked vigorously with me to make this an excellent chapter! TTFN my dears.

Sam


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost 3 in the morning in the Pevensie household

It was almost 3 in the morning in the Pevensie household. Everyone was sound asleep…except for one.

Peter was lying wide awake in his bed. He had had another dream. Actually, it was more like a nightmare. In this dream, he was standing in Cair Paravel, or at least he thought it was Cair Paravel. All of a sudden, there is an anguishing scream, and all he can see is a falling sheet of dark crimson red, and he feels a searing pain in his side. When the scream ended, he jolted in his bed, and he was awake.

This night's dream had been more vivid than prior nights. Usually, he just saw the flash of red after the screeching, and then the pain in his side. This time, he saw himself walking through Narnia, and he saw Aslan and Caspian standing in the courtyard of the Talmarine castle, but no one said anything. Before he could ask what was happening, everything turned red, and a figure formed in front of him, screaming as if dieing more painfully than ever imagined. Before the end of this dream, he saw something flying towards him, impaling him in the side, the cause of the pain in his side. With this, he jolted awake, and was now lying in his bed, unable to fall back asleep.

Peter knew that something was wrong in Narnia. He could feel every pore of his body tingling with the anticipation of unavoidable doom was going to hit.

"This is absolutely ridiculous," he thought to himself. There was no way he could anticipate events, especially if something was going to happen in Narnia. Even if he could, it wasn't like he would be able to return. Aslan had made that perfectly clear the last time they were there. Peter and Susan both knew that their dreams of returning to their home would eventually have to pushed to the back of their minds, and hopefully forgotten. Unfortunately, neither one of them were ready to put those hopes to rest.

Peter threw off the covers with determination and quickly dressed himself. He quietly tip toed out into the hallway, making sure to avoid the 3 squeaky boards that were in his way to the stairs. After slipping down the stairs and out the back door of the house, he ran as quickly as his feet could take him to the pond in the professor's back yard. He just needed that moment of exhilaration.

When he reached the pond, he stood and looked at its smooth, glossy surface. The dark water glistened with the reflection of the moon and specks of starlight. The movement of the water played the moonlight off the rocks and pebbles surrounding the pond. Peter sat down, picking up a small, flat stone, twirling it around in his fingers. He skipped it one…two…three…four times off the surface of the water. Peter watched the ripples caused by the stone reach the shore, and brought his mind back to the dreams he had been having.

What could it possibly mean? Was it completely random and by chance he was having this reoccurring nightmare? Or was something, or someone, about to destroy Narnia, his home?

He quickly put the coincidence possibility out of his mind. If there was anything he learned from the magic of Narnia, it was that everything happened for one reason or another. Even when Peter had once broken his right wrist, it had taught him to use a sword with his left hand until he became just as good with both of his hands. Little did he know that in a battle later on, his left had ended up slaying a worthy opponent. There was a reason for these dreams in Narnia, and he had every intention on figuring it out.

The next morning he had decided that it was time to share these dreams with his brothers and sisters.

"Susan, can you grab Lucy and Edmund while you're upstairs? I need to talk with you guys about something," Peter asked his sister as she was making her way from the kitchen to the staircase after breakfast.

"Sure Peter, is everything alright?" Susan asked, a concerned tone to her voice. Peter just smiled at her.

"Of course, just need to get an opinion."

Susan started towards the stares, glancing back at her brother with a confused, yet intrigued look on her face. While she was upstairs, she knocked on her younger siblings doors and told them that Peter wanted to talk to them all.

"What does he want to talk about?" Lucy asked, putting down the novel she had begun to read.

"I don't know, Lu. But he said nothing was wrong…so we're just going to have to go downstairs and see, won't we?" Susan said, giving a slight shove to her younger siblings. They both looked back at her, noses crinkled. They hated being treated like children.

Once the three were downstairs, they made their way into the kitchen, where Peter sat at the large, round table, tapping it with the tips of his fingers. He was deciding how to word his thoughts to his brother and sisters.

"Peter, what's the matter?" Edmund said bluntly, sitting across the table from his older brother. Peter looked at him, pushing his eyebrows together.

"Well, I would say nothing, but then I would only be slightly lying," Peter said, deciding it would be better to be honest. Susan and Lucy looked at each other, concern reflecting off both their faces. Peter looked up at them, motioning for them to sit down. He took a deep breath, and began his story.

He told them about his dreams, and how the night before had been the most vivid and painful out of all of them. When he was done, his eyes moved back and forth between the three sitting in front of him.

"I honestly don't think that this is all a coincidence. Something is trying to tell me that something is wrong in Narnia, but I don't know what or how to help," Peter finished. Susan just looked down at her hands on the table. She knew what Peter said was right. There was no way that this was a random occurrence of dreams, something bad was happening or was about to happen. Edmund sat back in his chair and scratched his chin, contemplating what he had just heard.

Lucy looked back at Peter, "If there was going to be trouble in Narnia, Aslan should be able to handle everything. If not, he would call us back," she said in a know-it-all tone. Peter let a small smile reach the corner of his mouth.

"I hope you're right, Lu," Peter said, also leaning back in his chair. He didn't know the reaction he wanted from his siblings, but what Lucy had said made him feel surprisingly better. She was right. Aslan would be able to handle any problem in Narnia, and if he couldn't he would call them back. Every time Narnia faced destruction, he had brought them back, and he would do it again if he had to…at least Peter hoped.

Susan shifted in her seat. She did not want to think about any possibility of going back to Narnia. It hurt too much for her to think about, and she was just beginning to try to move on. This problem that Peter was having with his dreams only pushed her backwards. She wanted to be able to forget it all, to make the pain go away, but why in Aslan's name was everything coming back to the possibility of going back to Narnia. She was ok reading the story that the professor had written, but she didn't want to think about going back.

Peter could see the pain in Susan's face.

"Susan, I know you don't want to think about this, but if there is a real problem, there is a possibility of going back to Narnia," Peter said. Susan looked at her brother.

"Peter, you know what Aslan told us. We can't go back. You know that. I would love to go back as much as you, but I don't want you to get your hopes up, just to be heartbroken when it never happens," she answered. Lucy rolled her eyes at the both of them.

"You both ARE going back, along with me and Ed sometime. I don't care what Aslan told you, it's going to happen someday. We all belong in Narnia and we know it," Lucy said, standing up from the table and walking towards the kitchen doorway. Ed smiled widely at everyone in the room.

"I'm with Lucy on this. Even Aslan is allowed to be wrong sometimes, you know," he said.

"Even so, what are we going to do about these dreams?" Peter asked? Edmund put his elbows on the table and leaned his face forward.

"You're not going to be able to do anything. All you can do is wait for more dreams to reveal more. Other than that, you're sore out of luck, mate," Edmund said, also standing up and heading out of the room. Susan and Peter were left alone at the table to ponder what had just happened.

"Well, for a git, he can be rather smart sometimes…when he wants to be," Peter said, walking over to the doorway too. Susan just smiled in her seat.

"Who would have thought?" she replied. Peter just smirked, turned on his heel, and was out the door. Susan sat at the table. She looked out the large window in front of her that opened up to the backyard. Something Lucy had said suddenly gave her a funny feeling.

'_Even Aslan is allowed to be wrong sometimes.'_ For the first time in months, Susan felt the possibility of returning to Narnia was ACTUALLY possible. What if Aslan was wrong? What if she could go back? She couldn't explain the feeling that filled her soul. She felt happy, weightless, and terribly excited about something that she couldn't quite figure out. Finally, she had hope again.

* * *

In worlds away, in a land called Vandar, Lilith sat upon her royal throne of rubies. Her robe was a dark red, and seemed to float around her legs with in imaginary breeze. She held her staff in her right hand, made of twisted cherry wood and topped with a sharpened ruby. Her presence was powerful, and she could make anyone bow to her will with a look from her piercing dark eyes.

The long hall in front of her was lined with thick, red curtains, and made of shining red diamonds that made the room glow with a low red tint. Standing in front of her was a messenger, a creature that seemed half human, half cheetah, built very much the same way as the centaurs of Narnia.

"Your Highness, news from Narnia," the messenger, named Jadenth, said to Lilith. She looked at him, a smile creeping on her face. Finally! News from her sister. She nodded do Jadenth. He looked down, knowing that there was most likely going to be a horrible price for delivering the news he was about to repeat.

"Your sister, Jadis, has been killed by High King Peter, the Great, of Narnia," Jadenth, winced, bracing himself for what was about to come.

The initial shock of the news seemed to stun the queen. She didn't move an inch. She just looked down to the messenger in front of her.

Slowly, her mouth formed words, "When did this happen?" she practically whispered.

Jadenth looked up at his queen, still bracing himself, "It seems about 1300 years ago, My Lady." Another sting of pain hit the heart of the queen. It had taken almost a millennium and a half for this horrifying news to reach her ears. An anguished look spread across her face, and she could feel tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Her baby sister, Jadis, was dead. It had been almost 2100 years since she had seen her sister, and the hope of a reunion was gone. She had allowed her sister to remain in the land of Narnia, where she was ruling queen. She regretted her decision, realizing how much she missed her sister over the years.

When they were younger, their mother had taught them to be powerful rulers, and when Jadis had stumbled upon a world called Narnia, Lilith had agreed to let Jadis remain there to rule her own land. The years took its toll on both of them, showing how they were different with each other; one ruled with blood, the other with ice.

Now her sister was dead. Lilith didn't know how to handle the flood of emotions that filled her head and her heart. Jadenth slowly began to back out of the room, hoping to avoid any anger or rage that would be aimed at him.

"Stop," Lilith said, quietly, yet loud enough for the cheetah-like messenger to hear her. In the instant after hearing about this High King, decided to find out if this king of Narnia was still alive, "Find out all you can about this King Peter, and tell me what you discover. Narnia will fall for the pain it has now caused me," she ordered. Jadenth, thankful he was not killed in the very moment she found out about the death, bowed low to the ground, and ran out of the hall.

Lilith sat in her chair. Her heart beat rapidly, and she felt her eyes release the tears they were fighting to hold back.

"I swear, on the name of our mother, I will avenge you, Jadis," she whispered quietly, walking towards one of the tall, wide windows that looked out over her land. The ruby crown settled on her head began to glow with the rage that was building up within the Queen. She let out a scream that rivaled the roars of Aslan himself.

Two days later, Queen Lilith called upon her generals and warlords to plan the attack on Narnia. The entire army was made up of various creatures, much like the ones from Narnia, with few differences. Her generals, though, all had very humanistic qualities, but were far from human. They had fangs where there canines would be, and had pale white skin. Their eyes were red with dark black pupils, and seemed dilated at all times. They looked very much like vampires, except they were stronger, faster, and could move about in daylight. They wore black chain mail armor, and carried swords with blades that never dulled, and were engraved with the crests and symbols of their clans.

Warlords of Vandar were creatures that Narnians couldn't ever imagine. They wore dark cloaks with large hoods that covered their faces. They spoke to each other in a language that would only sound like clicking and hissing to any normal being. The only part of their bodies' one could see were their hands, which looked like burned and boiled skin, with black fingers nails that were grown long, and sharpened like talons. Their glowing yellows eyes could once be seen once in a great while, but if you looked into them, myth said you could foresee your own death.

"Gentleman, Narnia took something very dear to me, and I plan on having me revenge. Ready your troops and train them in magic and any fighting tactics that they may need to defeat Narnians. Go, and make haste. I plan on leaving in 3 moons time," She ordered. The generals and lords bowed low, and left the great hall as Jadenth made his way forward.

"Your Highness," Jadenth began, bowing low to the ground.

"I hope you bring me news of King Peter," Lilith said, walking up the steps to her throne and sitting gracefully. Jadenth bowed low again and began to tell her his knowledge of the king.

"He is one of the Sons of Adam, my liege. He is one of the Kings and Queens of Old in Narnia…and he still lives," Jadenth said, looking up to his queen. Lilith's eyes widened with the news. She figured after hearing he was a son of Adam that he would be dead. But this news filled her with joy.

"He has left Narnia. Rumor has it that he will never return to this land, and a great King Caspian and a Lord named Aslan rule over Narnia," Jadenth continued.

"But King Peter is still alive?" Lilith repeated. Jadenth nodded his head, "Yes, my queen."

"This is good news, Jadenth. I will have my revenge; King Peter will die by my hand. His fate has just been decided." Thoughts and ideas were spinning in her head.

"Where is this King Peter?" she asked. Jadenth stood and looked at his queen.

"The stories and writings say he is from a place called 'England,' your Majesty," Jadenth said, proud that he was able to find all the information she needed about this king. Lilith's mouth formed a wicked smile.

She had already formed her plan in her mind. She stood from her throne, and made her way down to the floor. In front of her was a large map, one of Vandar, and one of Narnia, and neighboring land called Talmarine.

"Jadenth, I am going to bring back this High King Peter, the Great. And Narnia is going to hand him over to me. You are going on a mission. You are to travel to Narnia once I bring him back, and send this very simple message: Surrender High King Peter, the Great, or all of Narnia falls. This trip will take you months, so pack accordingly, and hurry. I bring back Peter in 2 weeks time. You will arrive in Narnia in 3 weeks, giving him the short amount of time to ponder the reason he is there. Now leave," she finished, smiling widely at her plan. Jadenth bowed low once again, and left to prepare for his trip.

Revenge on Narnia was only months away, and Lilith planned on releasing her rage and anger on the land of Narnia. She knew that they would never hand over the King if they were as honorable as their reputation showed, but this was perfectly fine to the queen.

She would make them bleed for what they had committed.

* * *

Hey readers!! Sorry it took FOREVER to get this chapter up, but when work and softball tournaments get in the way, it takes away from my writing. But finally, this chapter is up.

I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, keep it up, and keep giving me those honest opinions so I can make my chapters better and better.

And thanks again to my editor Esyla!! Couldn't make this as good if you weren't helping me out and lighting a fire under my ass.

The next chapter should be up in a couple days, I'm already outlining it as we speak. THANKS FOR READING!!

Sam


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Again…I am SUPER sorry about this chapter taking forever. July is going to be hectic, due to the fact that I play softball a lot, and writing time gets cut WAY down. Also, my editor is out of town, and she didn't get to read this before I posted it, so please bear with me. I figured I would post it now then wait almost another week. Enjoy!**

It was a beautiful night in the forest of Narnia. The light breeze made the trees sway, creating a quiet hum of rustling leaves and a few giggles from the playing trees. The sky was clear of any clouds, and the stars twinkled brightly. The moon lit up the forest, so that the eerie shadows that bounced off the trees and rocks highlighted the land's beauty. Even at times like these, Aslan took the time to appreciate the pure beauty that surrounded him in this forest.

Aslan was sitting on the bank of a small creek, thinking about the past year in Narnia. He thought about King Caspian the Tenth was succeeding, and the people of his country loved him, and the creatures of Narnia accepted his authority as their own leader. In the back of his mind, he thought about the Pevensies, and a slight twinge of guilt sparked. He knew how Susan and Caspian felt about each other, and he knew it would have worked if all the Pevensies had stayed in Narnia.

He also felt guilty about Peter, the Magnificent. He knew he had to send him back. Caspian had to be the new king, and Peter knew this. If he had stayed, Peter would have been looked at as the High King, and Caspian would not challenge him. Lucy and Edmund still had one more trip back to Narnia, and they were always easier to make leave. They, for some reason, seemed to understand better than the eldest children. This was probably because they had more time in Narnia than their older brother and sister, he thought. As insightful as the Great Aslan was, he couldn't read minds.

Taking a deep breath, Aslan stood up, and slowly walked down alongside the creek. Suddenly, his ears perked up. The breeze that gently blew through the trees suddenly changed, and began whipping around him in all directions. The hair in his long mane played around his strong face, and he felt it.

There was a shadow creeping on the edge of Narnia. He could feel that it was moving towards the new King's land. Suddenly, there was a slam of light in his mind, a light that was challenging to balance the powers that now existed in Narnia.

"Shadow and light back in Narnia…it can't be," Aslan whispered out loud. He turned around, and as fast as his powerful legs would carry him, he ran. He had to tell inform Caspian and his council of the powers that were now in Narnia.

* * *

Peter had been back at Oxford for less than a month already. It was the beginning of his second year of college. Considering his political science major, Peter didn't feel the need to study as hard as many of his comrades. He already spent a lifetime as a High King of a great land, and he found the classes to be surprisingly easy. Even though he was just a sophomore, he was taking senior level classes, in hopes of attending graduate school ahead of schedule.

Because of his need to spend less time studying, he found himself to be much more social with the other boys, and with local girls, some of which attend the sister college, the same one Susan attended. This was a nice change. In all of Peter's life, even that in Narnia, he had little socialization with other girls his age and therefore never got close enough to a girl to able to practice his hormones on. Yes. In all the time that he lived, Peter Pevensie, was a virgin.

It was a Friday night, and like any other Friday early in the school year, Peter and a group of his friends headed down the road to the popular local pub. It was a usual night at the pub, there was music, beer, and drunken singing from many of the boys in the group, and Peter loved having the freedom to act like a college student with no inhibitions.

It didn't take long for Peter to see her. She was sitting with a group of girls, all obviously from the sister college. He took another gulp from his beer glass, and glanced at her again. She had had long red hair. Not orange red, it was a darker, browner type of red, and where it glistened in the pub lights, it seemed to glow a brilliant color. He couldn't tell from where he was sitting, but he thought he saw green eyes. He thought she was perfectly lovely.

"Lookin' at Victoria, are we mate?" the boy sitting next to Peter laughed, elbowing him in the side. His name was Daniel, Peter's closest friend at school. Peter just smiled as his body rocked back from the elbow to his ribs.

"You know her name?" Peter said, glancing at the girl again. This time, she was looking back at him, and then turned to her girl friends, giggling with the rest of them.

"I know all the girls over there," Daniel replied, turning his head towards them, waving a bit, "They go to same school as your sister. Go over there, Pete, I think she was looking at you!"

Peter looked back at his friend. He was contemplating this move in his head. What did he expect from her? If he was lucky, she would go back to his room with him, where Daniel, who was also his roommate, would know to find another room for the night. He already had enough alcohol in his system to even consider going over there, and now he was getting looks from the rest of the boys at his table. Two of the boys were making a bet on whether he would find the courage to go over there, while the other drank from their own glasses and nudged their heads in the girls' direction.

"Come on Pete, I've been dying for a little action, and you could use some yourself," Daniel said, clapping his hand on Peter's shoulder, "Come on. I'll go with you. I've got my eyes set on the blonde myself," he said, finishing the rest of his beer.

Peter smiled. Daniel was right. He was in college now, and he needed this life experience. At home he would have never gotten the chance anyways, with Lucy and Edmund around, and Susan conveniently ignoring the two youngest siblings, knowing they would be heckling him. Yea, this was it. He stood up, downed the rest of the beer in his pint, and headed over to the girls' table, followed by Daniel. The boys remaining at the table 'uhhh' and 'auhhhed' as they walked over there.

It didn't take long until the two boys had the table of girls giggling madly. Peter had sat next to Victoria, who blushed when he put his arm around the back of her seat. Peter was shocked that he was being so forward; it was something he wasn't very used to.

"You're only in college once…may as well go for it," Peter thought to himself, as he chatted the redhead sitting next to him, who seemed to be reciprocating his actions. After about another 4 rounds of beer, the two boys and the group of girls were feeling the affects of the alcohol. Peter had moved his arm to around Victoria's shoulders, and she was leaning into him, and they were chatting quietly between themselves.

"You are quite looovely," Peter said, trying very hard not to slur his words, and emphasizing on the word 'lovely.' Victoria rolled her head to the side so it was resting on his shoulder and smiled widely.

"And, my dear Peter, you are quite handsome yourself," Victoria replied, putting her hand on Peter's chest. Peter looked down at her, feeling lightheaded and feeling the alcohol in his head.

"You know," he leaned his head down and whispered in Victoria's ear, "my dorm room is just down the street…and Daniel won't be there tonight, if you're interested." He could barely tell that it was his own words coming out of his mouth. Where was all this bravery coming from? He realized he was going to need to visit the pub more often.

Victoria grinned like a school girl who got a golden star for a right answer in class. She nodded quickly, scooting out of the booth together. Daniel looked up and watched Peter leave with Victoria. He looked over to one of the girls at his side, and said while laughing, "Looks like I need a new place to stay for the night."

Peter and Victoria walked down the street, laughing and stumbling, trying to hold each other up. Peter could feel butterflies in his stomach as him and the lovely girl with him stumbled up the steps, reaching the door to his dorm room. While Peter drunkenly fumbled to find his room key, Victoria had her back against the door, and wrapped her arms around Peter's neck, pulling him to her, allowing their lips to collide. Peter couldn't have been more ecstatic. He smiled into Victoria's mouth, pushing his body against hers, first using the door behind her to balance himself. He then wrapped one arm around her waist, pulled her closer to him, never losing contact from the kiss.

He fumbled with his key behind her back, pulling back from the kiss, and starting kissing her neck. Victoria still had her arms draped over his neck, and once she heard him unlock the door, jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, giggling madly. Peter found her mouth again with hers, stumbling slightly into the room, kicking the door shut behind him. His hands roamed her back while they explored each others mouths with their tongues.

It didn't take long for Peter to find the bed. He pushed Victoria onto the bed, but she never let go with her legs, and he fell on top of her. To his surprise, once they were down, she ripped open his shirt, buttons flying everywhere, exposing his very grown-up chest and torso. Since he had come back to London, he needed something to keep him in the shape he was in while living in Narnia. He starting taking up fencing, and ran at least three miles a day. It allowed him to keeps his arms in shape, and subconsciously, to keep his hand-eye coordination in tip top shape, just in case he returned…

As Victoria ran her hands up his chest and into his hair, Peter, now thoroughly hot and bothered, fumbled with the buttons on the front of her dress. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have this pretty girl under him. He thought for a second that once this was over, he would ask to spend more time with her. Not only was she very pretty, but he actually found her interesting…or at least he did when plenty of beer was involved.

Peter managed to get three buttons undone before he felt a pulling sensation behind his navel. He stopped breathing for a moment. He knew this feeling, and he knew it had nothing to do with Victoria being under his body. He felt a change in the pressure in the room, and everything seemed to slow down. He could feel what was happening. He had already felt it twice before in his lifetime…it was magic.

"No, no, no! Not NOW!" he practically shouted as he felt himself being pulled into another world.

* * *

Caspian was sitting at the large dining room table. He was eating a late dinner, due to the extensive meetings he had with his council and advisors throughout the day. He had also met with the centaurs. There had been a message sent saying that there was a shifting in the stars, and a create change was about to occur. He met with the magical creatures, and they told him the stars were in a constant motion, and they did not know when they would settle and tell the story.

He sat at the end of the table, goblet of wine in one hand, and his head resting on his free fist. He was looking at the diagram of the movement of stars given to him by the Centaurs. He was not good at reading the fates that the stars predicted, but he was trying to practice this skill.

Suddenly, Caspian felt a shift in the air in the room. He looked up, looking around the rather large room. He was alone.

"Maybe I've had a little too much wine," he spoke out loud to himself. As he went to put the wine on the table, something large and loud landed out of nowhere on the table right in front of him.

Caspian yelled, and threw his arm back, causing his whole body to shift backwards, knocking his chair backwards, and Caspian along with it. The wine from the goblet conveniently landed in his face and his chest, soaking his newly washed white tunic.

"NO, NO, NO!" the object shouted. A bewildered Caspian, with the wind knocked out of him, sat up on his elbows. He looked up at the table to see what landed right on his dinner. With wide eyes, he watched the man on his table sit up. It was High King Peter, the Magnificent.

"King Peter?" Caspian said, eyes opened even wider as the King of Old looked at him from the table. Peter looked down at Caspian, and expression of horror on his face.

"This, of ALL THE MOMENTS, had to be the one to send me back to Narnia! I never thought I would ever say this, but SEND ME BACK NOW!" Peter shouted to the ceiling, hoping that Aslan was listening, and would send him back to the moment he just left.

Caspian was speechless, still lying back on the ground, legs up on the chair. His chin hit his chest from dropping wide open. Could this really be King Peter sitting in front of him? Hadn't Aslan declared that he and Queen Susan would not be returning?

Something clicked in Caspian's head. Queen Susan. Where was she? If Peter was here, then where…?

"Where is Aslan?! I need a word with him," Peter said, getting of the table, still feeling the effects of the alcohol in his system, although the trip seemed to clear out some of it. He felt a bit dizzy, and leaned his weight on the table with one arm, rubbing the heel of his free hand on his temple.

"Aslan is not here –" Caspian began, struggling to get off the chair he was knocked down with, and was cut off by the doors to the dining hall slamming open. Standing in the doorway was the powerful lion, Aslan.

"I was afraid of this," Aslan spoke, walking slowly into the room, head down, a look of worry on his face.

Peter was still upset, and took two large strides until he was in front of the lion.

"What in the bloody hell am I doing here, Aslan? I was quite busy at the moment you decided to bring us back – " Peter began, before being interrupted.

"I did not bring you back, King Peter," Aslan said calmly. Peter then shut his mouth, which had been open, ready to spit out more words to show his feelings, "and your siblings are not here. It is just you," Aslan finished, sitting between the two kings. Caspian still found himself with his mouth hanging open. He didn't know what to say. And now realizing the significance of what Aslan just said, he spoke.

"What do you mean he's the only one here? Where are the other Pevensies?" Caspian asked, still feeling the shock, and now feeling the wine in his shirt dripping down, staining the whole front of his tunic. He scolded himself for choosing the red wine for this night's dinner.

"I assume they are still in England," Aslan replied, still sitting on his hind legs, looking between the two men in front of him, contemplating the possibilities in his head. Peter could not believe what he was hearing. He was in Narnia, his sisters and brother were not here, and it was not by Aslan's doing.

"Wait, so you didn't bring me here…then how and why am I here?" Peter asked, his harsh tone not leaving his words. He was still very unhappy about being brought here while he was finally getting attention from the opposite sex. Aslan shook his head.

"This is a question that even I do not know the answer to, your highness. This magic that brought you back was not by a Narnian's doing," he replied, and began to pace the room.

"There must be a reason he was brought here Aslan," Caspian spoke, noticing Peter's shirt was open, and the buttons seemed to be ripped off. Now he began to realize why Peter seemed very agitated to be in Narnia at this very moment. Caspian smirked to himself, and then felt a twinge of guilt. He knew what it was liked to be pulled away from something the moment you realize you desperately want it.

"Peter, do you know how I knew you were here?" Aslan asked. Peter shook his head. He was running the possibilities of his return through his mind. He couldn't understand what had happened. In the years he had ruled over Narnia, he had never heard of any magic, besides Aslan's, that allowed people to be transferred from Narnia to his world.

"There's a dark shadow moving closer to the Castle. I do not expect it to come to our attention for two more days, but it is moving quickly over Narnia. I do not recognize this being, but it is not from this land. I suspect it will have our answer when it arrives. Until then, I suggest being careful. Do not leave the castle. We do not want to risk your wellbeing before we discover the answer to this mystery," Aslan said sternly. Peter just nodded. He knew not to argue with the ancient lion.

"I will make sure his needs are taken care of, Aslan. He is more than welcome to anything he needs within the castle," Caspian said, bowing his head to the lion, who bowed his head back.

"And as always, your knowledge and hospitality exceeds your years," Aslan replied. With this, Aslan walked out the door. Both Peter and Caspian knew that they would be seeing much more of the lion in the near future.

Caspian blow out a long breath through his mouth. Peter, still exceedingly peeved about his situation, stomped out of the dining room, muttering to himself. Caspian thought he could make out "bloody cock blockers," as he left the room. He didn't exactly know the term, but he expected he understood the general meaning of the phrase.

Caspian called to one of his servants, letting him know about their guest and that he was to be treated as royalty, considering he was a King of Old. The servant bowed, and left the dining room. Caspian turned to look at the table. His dinner was now lying on the floor, and smashed on top of the table. There was no point in eating now. He rolled his eyes, and headed towards his master bedroom.

There were a hundred questions whizzing through his thoughts. But one caught his attention more than the others: did this mean there was a chance Queen Susan would be returning? Caspian's heart beat a bit quicker when he asked this to himself. If Susan was able to return, would Aslan make her leave again? Would he tell her that he loved her? Even after the year they were apart? Caspian walked into his bedroom, and changed his stained clothing. That night he dreamt of a future, with Susan by his side on the throne. In his mind, during the dream, he decided he would not pass the chance to tell her if she came back, back to her rightful home, back to Narnia.

* * *

**Well! I hope you enjoyed that chapter!! I know, it's a bit rough with my beta/editor being unable to edit, but I figured you would want to read instead of wait any longer. As always, I would love for you to review and give me your honest opinions. **

**By the way…I would never have used the term "cock block," but Elysa, my editor begged me to use it, for comedic effect…so I gave in, and I think it was funny. Hope you enjoyed, REVIEW!!**

**Sam**

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Peter woke up early the next morning. He rolled over in his bed, feeling the silky fabric surrounding his body, momentarily forgetting where he was. As he sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he thought "How could I possibly forget where I am? I was cheated out of night with one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met," growling slightly, recalling his memories from the night before. He couldn't help but laugh a little to himself, remembering Caspian laying flat back on the ground, covered in wine and food.

The sun was shining into the room that Caspian had graciously given to him during his stay. The light from the sun glistened off the marble floor, reflecting light throughout Peter's room. He stood on the floor, which was also slightly warm from the sun's light. He guessed the time to be about 8 o'clock in the morning. He quickly dressed with clothes that had been assembled in the closet in his room, and headed down to the courtyard, appreciating the feel of his favorite fabric against his skin again.

As he had expected, Aslan and Caspian were speaking quietly to each other, as if they were discussing a great secret. Their backs were to the entrance that Peter had entered the brightly lit courtyard. Peter cleared his throat, just loud enough to announce his presence to the two figures in front of him.

Aslan and Caspian both turned around in a matter as if they expected Peter to be standing behind them.

"Good morning, your majesty. I hope you slept well?" Aslan asked, sitting back on his powerful hind legs. Caspian put his hands behind his back and rocked on his feet, deep in thought about what he and the great lion had just discussed.

"Of course, Aslan. I always sleep better in Narnia. Must be because I'm more comfortable here," Peter said, smiling. Although he did miss out on an important moment that he had been waiting a long time for, he WAS glad to be back in his rightful home. He didn't realize until that moment how much he did miss everything about this great land, the smell of the breeze, the way the light hit the ground, and all the creatures and spirits in the great country.

"Excellent, Peter. I'm glad you had a good night of sleep, because we have some things that we need to discuss quickly," Aslan said, standing back up and leading the gentleman out of the courtyard.

The great lion and two kings walked from the courtyard into the council hall. Since Caspian and the Pevensies defeated his dictating uncle, Miraz, Caspian decided to change many things about the old castle. The new council hall was a large, round room, one of the sides of its wall tall, arching windows looking over the Telmar land. The room was made of large, grey stones, and the floor was dark marble. The stone walls were covered in tapestries depicting the history of Narnia, including one, brightly colored, with murals of the Kings and Queens of Old. Caspian had arranged the room this way after the kings and queen had left again.

In the middle of the room was a very large, oval table, made of a wood that looked like a mix of deep cherry wood and oak. At the tip of the oval sat a larger chair than the rest, indicating that was the seat for the king during the council meetings. In this room, the men and lion knew they would have complete privacy. Aslan decided this was the best place and time to tell Peter and Caspian exactly what he saw happening in Narnia.

"Peter, Caspian, please sit. We have a lot to discuss at the moment," Aslan said. The two kings took his advice, and sat at the table, Caspian in his normal seat at the end of the oval table, and Peter in the seat to his right.

"I expect whatever this dark force is to arrive here by the end of the day. I do not know how to stop it, and I do not know what exactly to expect when it arrives. Last night, after feeling the dark force on the edges of Narnia, I felt a strong light coming from this castle. I could tell it was you Peter. I do believe that the reason you are here is because of this new force traveling along the country, and when it arrives, we will have more answers about everything in question," Aslan finished. Looking from one king to the other.

Peter leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. His brow was pushed together, his eyes looking deep in thought. Caspian leaned back against his chair, resting his chin on his fist, looking straight at the lion, debating in his mind what to say.

"This force, Aslan, is it dangerous? How can we be so certain it is not here to destroy Narnia and Telmar?" Caspian said, his accent still heavy in his voice.

"I do not know your highness. But in my honest opinion, I do believe that if this force was dangerous, we would already be aware of its effects in the land," Aslan replied, circling the table. Peter looked at the lion.

"Well then we will just have to wait and see what will happen. Obviously, it is not a coincidence that we are both here at the same time. I'm sure this force or whatever it is has something to do with me. When it arrives, I will face it myself, and then we will know what we are dealing with," Peter said, his voice reverberating with the regalness that he was accustomed to when making decisions as a King of Narnia. He loved the feeling of having some sort of power again, and not being just another college student in England.

"I cannot allow that," Caspian piped up from his seat, lifting his head from his fist, looking over at Peter. Peter gave Caspian a confused look. He found himself without words to say, he did not expect either Aslan or Caspian to disagree with him.

"Aslan said he was not completely positive that this thing is not evil. We will accompany you, along with soldiers, and we will wait for this for to arrive at the castle, where it is much safer," Caspian explained himself. Aslan nodded his head.

"I have to agree with Caspian, Peter. It is too dangerous for you to meet this being by yourself. We will wait here, and hope to arrange a meeting with it where we can control the situation if needed," Aslan said, looking at Peter, knowing the young man was not about to disagree with him. Peter nodded. Deep down he knew he did not want to go alone, but then again he did not want to put anyone else in danger. It was always in his nature to put other people's wellbeing before his own, but he was not about to disagree with the great Aslan.

"Alright. I guess you make a good point. We will wait here for this force to come. But I want to be prepared. Aslan, you don't happen to know, by chance, if my armor is still available, do you?" Peter asked, hoping his Narnian armor was still well in tact and he was able to use it. Aslan smiled.

"Of course it is, High King Peter. It is in the royal safe, I will have someone fetch it for you and put it, along with your sword, in your chambers. I expect the force to be here at dusk. We will wait at the gates," Aslan stated, heading out of the council chambers, leaving Caspian and Peter alone for the first time since Peter's unexpected arrival.

The two men remained seated at the table, both deep in thought. Peter looked up and smiled.

"I wish my brother and sisters were here. They would be useful right about now," Peter laughed, wondering if they knew yet that he was gone. Caspian shook himself out of his thoughts when he heard Peter mention his siblings.

"I wish they were here too. I've missed you all greatly. How are they? How is Susan?" Caspian asked, leaning towards Peter, emphasizing Susan's name. He was most interested in how she was doing.

"They're all fine. Susan is going to a university now. She's learning to be doctor. She feels that there is a future with medicine, even though where we come from, women are usually only nurses. She has a challenge ahead of her, but I have a feeling she'll do just fine," Peter paused, "It's only been about a year since we've left. How long has it been here? Everything looks the same as when we left," Peter answered, figuring Caspian would ask more about Susan in a matter of moments.

"It has been also about a year here since you four left. Lucy and Edmund returned only about two months after you all left. Susan is going to be a doctor? That's good," Caspian paused, looking at his hands. He wanted to ask Peter all about her. He missed her more than any of them, and he wanted to know if she felt the same, "Does she ever speak of me?" he asked timidly. Peter smiled. Although he was the big brother, and his job was to be protective of his little sisters, he always liked Caspian, and knew the day they left that no one would have been a better match for his sister.

"As a matter of fact, Caspian, she does. She doesn't like to though, I think it hurts her too much to think she'll never see you again," Peter answered as honestly as he could. Caspian's face dropped. He did not want Susan to be in pain. Peter saw this look on his face, and decided that he was going to tell Caspian the whole truth, "But, look at me. I didn't think I would ever return to Narnia, and here I am. Although the memories pain her, I can see her face light up when she thinks or speaks about you, Caspian."

Peter stood up, clapping Caspian on the shoulder, and silently left the chambers to search for his armor. He hoped that had made Caspian feel a bit better. Caspian smiled to himself. Susan liked thinking about him? Was it possible that a perfect being, Queen Susan, thought about him as much as he thought about her? At that moment, the hope that had been building in the pit of his stomach almost ached with anticipation of Susan coming back. He wanted to hold back his feelings, because he did not know if she ever would come back, even though he wished for it every night in his thoughts and dreams.

* * *

Susan loved Sarah Lawrence University. She loved New York City. She loved being in America. It was a brilliant change from the countryside of England. Susan loved the challenges her professors gave her, and the class assignments kept her mind busy all the time. Susan wanted to be a doctor, seeing as how her younger sister, Lucy, inspired her to heal all those who needed it around her. Her class consisted on only twenty-three students, considering women in medicine was not widely common, and only the brightest of young women were able to conquer the difficult courses that the university presented to its students.

Susan, unlike most of the other girls in her class, found the lessons to be pleasantly difficult instead of nearly impossible. She was beginning to realize that her lifetime in Narnia gave her a great advantage over the other students in her classes. She was able to finish her work ahead of time, and was then able to enjoy her weekends, since school nights mainly consisted of just school work. She looked forward to her weekends. She would mostly go to Manhattan, or Times Square, or anywhere that she fancied investigating. She loved to go to Long Island with her roommate, Amanda. They would visit Amanda's family on the island. Amanda had three younger sisters, all under the age of four.

Susan loved Amanda's family almost as much as she had loved her own brothers and sister. Every time Amanda and Susan would arrive at the house, all three little girls would beg for Susan to tell them stories about Narnia. Amanda and her parents thought that Susan was just very imaginative and a spectacular story teller, and enjoyed listening to what they thought were just fairy tales. Susan used this as an outlet to tell her stories of her home. She told them about the centaurs, the dwarves, all the warriors of Narnia, Aslan, and of course, her knight in shining armor, Caspian.

Susan would describe him as the brave, beautiful, brilliant, loving, and loyal hero to her stories. Amanda knew Susan very well by the time she had listened to all of her stories. She could tell that Susan was "basing" Caspian on a real man, and she wanted to know the details.

One Wednesday night, when the snow was falling outside their dorm windows, both Amanda and Susan, medical students, were working on an assignment for their Anatomy class. It was about 8 o'clock, so the sun had set, and a light frost of snow was lying on the ground outside, where the only light that shined came from the streetlights. Susan sat on her bed, leaning her head against the class of her window, watching the snow fall. She was daydreaming again.

Caspian was in front of her again, and she could smell his scent. A musky, strong smell, but soft and clean, like fresh soap. She never loved anything as much as his scent. It tickled her nose whenever she would even remember what it smelled like. He walked up to her, and wrapped his arms around her again, and kissed her shoulder. She closed her eyes as she imagined him whispering in her ear, "I will love you forever." She could feel the cold from the window seeping through her forehead, and she smiled, enjoying the cool feeling on her skin.

From across the room, Amanda looked up from her paperwork when she heard Susan sigh quite loudly from her bed. Amanda gave her a quizzical look.

"Susan, are you alright?" Amanda asked, putting her pen down. Susan looked up from the window.

"Of course, why do you ask?" Susan replied, looking back down to her schoolwork, Caspian's image never leaving her mind.

"It's just that, whenever you tell my sisters stories about Caspian and Narnia, I can tell there's more behind it," Amanda said, looking down, not knowing how to explain herself. Susan quickly looked at her roommate.

"What do you mean? It's just stories of course…" Susan trailed off, hoping she didn't come off as defensive. She did not want to try to convince Amanda that Narnia is a real place, and Caspian was a real man. She thought that Amanda might have her committed.

"Who is Caspian about? You describe him with such passion, that there is no way it is not about a man you know," Amanda said, rather quickly. She wanted the details, and she would get them out of Susan no matter what it took. Susan couldn't help but smile. She thought the least she could tell her roommate, and dear friend, was part of the truth.

"Caspian was my knight in shining armor," Susan said, looking up at Amanda. Amanda's face still had the quizzical look on it, searching for more answers.

"He was a boy, no, a man, I met about a year ago. I only had a short time with him, but he was everything I could ever hope for or want. He was perfect," Susan said, remembering how she felt the very first time she saw him in the forests of Narnia.

Susan paused for a minute, relishing in her memories of the man she loved after only knowing him for only a month. Susan did not understand why her feelings felt that way. She was the logical, facts only, to the point sister. She never thought she would fall for someone that quickly, and knew it was dangerous, especially now, when she knew she would never see him again.

Amanda watched Susan, waiting for her to answer. She could see Susan lost in her own memories, "Well?! What happened?!" Amanda practically shouted, begging for more of the story. Susan jumped a little, not realizing how deep in her own mind she was. She smiled at Amanda.

"I had to leave. And he had to stay. Simple as that," she answered, looking down at her hands that were in her lap. She had wished it was really as simple as that. She hated thinking about the fact that they would never be together again, and no other man would be able to match Caspian's level. To Susan, he was perfect.

"Well," Amanda snorted, "That's just ridiculous. Why did you leave?" she asked. Susan looked up quickly, then back down, thinking about how to answer the question.

"It's complicated," she answered, hoping that would be enough for her questioning friend. Amanda just shook her head.

"Susan, dear, I know I've never met this man, but from just the way you tell your stories, it was, and still is love," Amanda said. Susan stared at her friend. How could she possibly know? Susan didn't know why, but she could feel tears coming to her eyes, and a lump growing in her throat.

Amanda walked over to Susan's bed, sat down, and wrapped her arms around her friend.

"You can handle becoming one of the only female doctors in the world, and you're worrying you won't be able to get to see this man again? If I know you at all, I know you're going to be just fine. Plus, something good is bound to happen with a story like this," Amanda smiled, looking down at her friend. Susan was beyond grateful that Amanda was there. For the first time in a while, she could feel something in the pit of her stomach again…hope.

* * *

**Alright readers! Hope you liked this new chapter. Next chapter should be more tense with more action. But please, read and review, I love hearing everything you guys have to say! **

**And of course thanks to Esyla, whom without, this story would not be as good. :D**

**Sam**


	5. Chapter 5

Jadenth was on the edge of the country, he could sense the Telmarines were close. His ears perked up as he listened to the bustle of people walking throughout the large village within the city's walls. His whiskers twitched with the scents of the trees, flowers, fruits, foods, and sweat of everything around him.

He crept lingered in the tree line, remaining unseen by anyone. His body resembled a cheetah: long, powerful, yet thin front legs, yet with hands on the ends. His shoulder blades protruded from his back, connecting with his thick neck that kept his head low and his ears perked. His torso was thin, and ended with large hind legs, and a long, winding tail he used to keep his balance while running faster than any other creature in Narnia. The back of his body was covered in grey and dingy yellow fur, with few dark brown spots that blended into the front half of his body. He was a powerful, dangerous animal, which made him the perfect messenger for Lilith. He was able to defend himself. He was also smart. He would be able to talk and possibly outwit his way out of trouble. Yes, he was a perfect messenger.

Jadenth already knew his presence was known in Narnia. Lilith had told him of the powerful lion that would be aware of his presence. Jadenth knew he had to be careful in this land. He was in an area he was not familiar with, delivering a message of trade or death to all in the land. He knew he could very easily be in danger is he was not smart about his moves.

As the sun moved past the center of the sky, towards the western skies, he moved out of the tree line. Since his body was just a few inches shorter than Aslan's, he was not easily missed by the townspeople bustling about their business. Jadenth made his was, slowly, to the front gate of the castle, and waited for the door to be lowered, allowing him to cross the mote surrounding the stone castle.

As he walked through the large village, the people stopped what they were doing and watched the unfamiliar creature make its way to the castle. Eventually, the entire village surrounded the animal that was waiting for the bridge to lower from its gate. They watched, eyes wide with wonder, at what was about to happen.

On the other side of the bridge, Caspian, Peter the Magnificent, Aslan, castle guards, and more townspeople, who were following in their curiosity, waited until Aslan decided it was time to lower the gate.

"Remember, gentleman, any form of a threat, and on my command, take control over whatever lays behind the gate," Caspian said, pacing in front of his guards. He glanced behind them, looking at the villagers, hoping that violence would not ensue for their own sake. The villagers were staring at Peter, wondering why he was back in Narnia and why no one had announced his return. Caspian took his place besides Peter, who was now standing between himself and Aslan.

Aslan looked over to the guard who was at the gate wheel, and nodded. Slowly, the chains groaned in their movement, allowing the gate to lower down over the mote. Peter felt his stomach twist a bit. He had no idea what he was about to face on the other side of the gate, and he was nervous.

The gate landed on the ground with a giant 'thud.' Peter looked up from his feet to meet his fate. There, on the other side of the gate, Jadenth sat, looking right at him. A hush stirred throughout the on-looking people. No one moved.

"High King Peter, the Magnificent, Son of Adam, High King of Narnia," the unfamiliar creature shouted, snarling at the end of his sentence. Both Caspian and Aslan were in a defensive stance, as if ready to attack the new creature if needed. Peter, on the other hand, seemed relaxed in his stance, even though his stomach was doing flips. Peter looked this creature scare in the eye, and took a step forward.

"I am King Peter. You request an audience with myself, then you request an audience with all those you see around you," Peter answered, his voice loud and strong. Jadenth smirked, he knew King Peter would be proud, and was glad he wanted his people behind him.

Jadenth stepped forward, now within arms length of Peter, standing on all fours, "This message is not to you, Great King, but it is to your people, and the kings behind you," he said, nodding his head towards Caspian and Aslan. The great lion still had his head lowered, ears pulled back, ready to pounce if needed. Caspian tilted his head in a moment of confusion, composing himself shortly after.

Peter looked down at the creature in front of him, even though he was not much shorter than the king himself, "Where are you from, and what message do you send, creature?" Peter asked, not letting his nervousness intrude on his voice. The villagers around this scene were silent; eyes still opened wide, waiting for the creature's response.

"My name is Jadenth, and I bring a message from the Lady Lilith, daughter of Adam and Lilith, Queen of the land of Vandar. My message is simple. The queen requests that the people of Narnia surrender King Peter, the Magnificent, and Son of Adam, to Queen Lilith for the murder of her sister, Jadis. Surrender him, or Narnia will parish under the Queens mighty power." The messenger stepped back, resting on his hind legs, now at eye level with Peter. He smirked, and waited for the reply.

There was a gasp from the crowd around them, a gasp of shock, fear, confusion, and wonder. Aslan slowly moved next to Peter, who was still trying to figure out why he was being threatened.

"Why does she pick now to threaten the King and this land? It was a millennia ago that this happened," Aslan growled to Jadenth, who immediately too a defensive stance against the massive lion, who was still in his attack pose, now baring his teeth.

"You should know as well as I do, Aslan, that news takes a very long time to travel from one world to another," Jadenth replied, refusing to back down from the lion.

"Then your queen should very well know that what King Peter did at the time was necessary for his people, just as she would have done the same for her people. He will not be held accountable for his actions during the battle," Aslan replied in his low growl.

Peter glanced back and forth from the lion to the cheetah messenger. He still did not know what the messenger was talking about. A battle? A millennia ago? Slowly did his mind click and put the pieces into place…

"Aslan, Jadis, was that…?" Peter started. Aslan looked up at the king, then back to Jadenth.

"Yes, Peter. Jadis was the White Witch. Lilith is her sister, and queen of another world that lies outside the realms of this one. It seems it has taken over 1300 years for the news to travel," Aslan replied, this time a much calmer tone than to the cheetah messenger in front of him.

Caspian was now also at Peter's side.

"Not only will Narnia refuse the surrender of King Peter, but Telmare and its people will also refuse his surrender," Caspian spoke, his accent heavy with anger towards Jadenth. Peter looked from Aslan to Caspian, neither one of them ready to change their minds on this decision.

"I will leave the choice with King Peter. Your majesty, will you sacrifice your country for your own life, which will be taken either way. Save your people the agony of a war you cannot win," Jadenth hissed.

Peter hesitated, looking down at his feet for a minute. Was he ready to surrender his life to save his country? Would his country be able to defend themselves against a war with this new threat?

"Aslan, Caspian, maybe we should think about this –" Peter began, but was cut off by an ear splitting roar from Aslan.

"Peter will not be surrendered. Tell your Queen she will not win, there is no hope for her if she enters our lands," Caspian finished Aslan's thought. Peter suddenly felt relief through his body. He knew it was wrong, and he should save his land from suffering that was bound to happen, but knowing that the people around him would not surrender him, he felt an overwhelming feeling of hope that his people would last through this oncoming war.

"This choice will bring nothing but death and suffering to your people!" Jadenth shouted, "Narnia and Telmare will regret the choice you have just made."

As quickly as he had shown up, he walked back towards the tree line on the brink of the village, and disappeared into the forest.

As soon as he was out of site, everyone seemed to relax their stance. The villagers surrounding the kings and guards did not know what to do. They did not know whether to tell the king that they did not want to surrender him either, or just to go back to what they were doing. Many chose the first choice, and a few just chose the latter. With each reassurance, Peter felt his spirits being lifted, knowing his people wanted him to stay and help Caspian rule.

The people had found new hope with Caspian to change the ways of the old dictatorship, and they loved him almost as much as they had loved the kings and queens of old. He was ruling wisely and fairly, and his people supported him. Caspian did what he could, always putting his people first. Peter knew this, and had no intention of taking the thrown from him, but merely being at his right hand side while he was there.

He decided to tell this to Caspian after the villagers had cleared, and everyone was on their way back inside the castle, heading to the council chambers to decide on actions that needed to take place.

"Caspian!" Peter called, catching up to the young Telmarine king. Caspian turned and smiled at Peter, who was now beginning to understand why Susan had feelings for the young man.

"Caspian, I just want you to know, while I'm here, I want to be a member of the council. Now you are a King of Narnia, and you are the leader of this country, and I don't want that to change," Peter said in a low voice, hoping no one was overhearing them. Caspian just shook his head, pulling his dark locks behind his ears when they got in his eyes, and he smirked slightly. He understood what Peter was trying to say: that he shouldn't feel threatened by his presence in Narnia.

"Do not worry, Peter, I look to your opinion above others. You will still have the authority as a King here, and that will never change." Caspian said, clapping Peter on the shoulder. Peter smiled. He knew that he and Caspian would make a powerful leadership, and again, he was feeling hope in the pit of his stomach that his land would not lose this war. He had defeated Jadis, the White Witch, 1300 years earlier, and he knew he would be her sister, Lilith, now.

* * *

"NO! They are not coming back, Aslan! You know that making them leave again will only break their hearts further," Peter practically barked, slamming his fist on the table he was seated at. Peter, Caspian, Aslan, and the rest of the Telmarine and Narnia advisors were back in the council room that the first three had been in earlier.

The council was now discussing the return of Edmund, Susan, and Lucy, after deciding he proper steps to be taken with arranging a larger army and preparing for the upcoming war. This was the only subject that seemed to be up for debate.

The great lion sat on the left hand side of Caspian, the opposite of which Peter was sitting.

"Peter, you know as much as we all do that we cannot do this without the help of your brother and sisters. They deserve to be involved with the wellbeing of their home, just as much as you do. Do not feel guilty about what is going to happen, for there was no way around the decision you had to make, and you did make the right choice. But, we need your siblings here," Aslan said in his soothing voice, the kind that could make you believe anything he said. Peter looked down at his hands. He would not give up this fight. He would not risk the rest of his family for his own wellbeing.

"Aslan is right! We need as much reinforcement as we can get, and we need as much experience and knowledge that we can get our hands on!" Trumpkin said from the other end of the table, drumming his fingers on the tabletop, seeming very annoyed that they were ACTUALLY arguing over this idea. Trumpkin had been appointed not only a General, but also a member of the trusted council of Narnia and Telmar, along, also, with Reepicheep.

"They are not coming back to Narnia. Especially Susan, I cannot take watching her suffer for another year because she has to leave here again, even if she sees war in her country again," Peter said, still sitting in his chair, leaning forward. He would refuse to allow his siblings to return to Narnia until he was blue in the face. The only one to agree fully with him was Reepicheep, who understood the pain the Pevensies would be feeling if they had to leave again.

"King Peter is right. Who knows how helpful they would be, knowing that they would only be returning. We do not want their sorrow to cloud their instincts while they're here. It might end up with one of them getting hurt, or worse, dead," Reepicheep piped in. A wave of whispers spread throughout the council. Glenstorm, already standing, began to speak.

"I have been reading the stars for many nights, and they all lead to the arrival of this new threat to Narnia. They also say that there is another force at work here, stronger than the hate that ties Lilith to Peter," he spoke, and suddenly laid his eyes on Caspian, who was sitting at the head of the table, scratching his chin. He made eye contact with the centaur, feeling a sensation he couldn't quite describe. The centaur continued.

"This force will make us stronger if we allow the other Kings and Queens of Old to return to this land. This force will be in our favor, and will help our chances in battle. Also, it will ensure the good of this land for years to come," Glenstorm finished, never releasing from Caspian's eye contact. Peter looked from the centaur to Caspian. He knew what Glenstorm was talking about, he was not an idiot. Caspian looked down at the table.

Caspian already knew what he was in favor for. He would do anything to see the King Edward and Queens Susan and Lucy to return, and the speech from Glenstorm only strengthened his feelings.

But Peter was right…would he be able to survive again when Susan left? It had nearly broken him the first time. He knew he would never love another woman the same way as he loved her. She was his theory of perfection. He loved everything about her, even her faults and quirks that he had noticed. Maybe if she came back, it would help him, having more time with her, or would it hurt him? Knowing she had to know back?

"Councilmen, we have all heard what you each have to say on the matter. There is only one way to decide what is to be done about the return of the three other highnesses," Caspian said, standing from his seat, "We will vote now. All those against the return of King Edmund, Queen Susan, and Queen Lucy," he finished. Peter and Reepicheep both raised their arms.

"All those in favor or their return," Caspian finished. Every other hand in the room went up. Caspian looked apologetically at Peter, who had his forehead on the table, gently slamming it there a couple times. Although Peter was worried about the wellbeing of his siblings, Caspian could not help but feel his stomach doing flips, knowing he was going to be reunited with his love very, very soon.

"It is decided then. I will bring back the rest of the Pevensie family when the timing is right," Aslan proclaimed with his deep voice. As the council members began to leave the room, Aslan made his way to Peter's side.

"I will wait until Susan is home from the university, and I will bring them all back together. It will be a short number of days from now. Take the time to prepare for their return," Aslan said, in almost a whisper so that only Peter and Caspian could hear him speak. Peter nodded his head, finally giving up this fight.

As Caspian rose from his seat, Peter stopped him.

"When Susan returns, do no hurt her," Peter said in a tone that was neither threatening nor angry, but almost pleading, which was unusual for him.

"I would never hurt her, King Peter, you know this," Caspian replied. Peter nodded.

"I know you would never mean to, Caspian, but there is a very good chance we will be leaving after this war. I don't think Aslan will let us stay again, even though I would beg for him to allow it. But I know how Susan feels about you. Just remember that," Peter finished, leaving the room. Caspian remained in his chair for a few extra seconds.

He could not understand if Peter was telling him to not allow Susan to fall for him again, or if Peter was telling him that he should love his sister back. Caspian knew that he would decide the right thing to do when he saw her, and his heart would be louder than his mind.

Caspian headed towards his master chambers. It was late in the night, for the council meeting had taken hours to decide what was necessary to be done, and Caspian could feel his entire body ache from the adrenaline from the day's events. He slept that night, dreaming of the moment he and Susan would be reunited. Little did he realize that in a world away, Susan was having a dream very similar to his own…

* * *

**Finally! Another chapter posted. Sorry it's been taking forever to write, but I've been beyond busy and I'm working on this every little moment I get. And thanks to Esyla, because she is awesome and always edits my stuff and has great opinions.**

**Not to worry, the Pevensies will be returning in the next chapter! And finally some SUSPIAN action!! Are you excited? I know I am. Reviews are always welcomed, I love knowing honest opinions, it only helps my writing!!**

**Cheers.**

Sam


	6. Chapter 6

It was the night before Sarah Lawrence released its students for the winter holidays. It was almost 4 o'clock in the morning, and Susan was stirring in her sleep.

She was back in Narnia, and a figure was standing in front of her. She knew it was a man, and he was taller than her by a good six inches. He had dark hair and dark, loyal eyes, but she could not make out the rest of his face. Standing beside this man was another figure. She could see he was also a man, but with lighter hair, and blue eyes. He stood at just under the height of the first man. She knew this was Peter; she would be able to tell him from anywhere.

Suddenly, there was a piercing scream coming from Peter's form. He clutched his side and fell to the ground, and then everything in front of her eyes went red. It was as if a giant, red silk curtain had been dropped in front of her, and all she could do was call out to Peter, who was still screaming.

Susan jolted up, covered in a thin layer of sweat, even though it was chilly in her dorm room. Susan's eyes darted around the room, seeing Amanda's still sleeping form, realizing she had just had a terrifying nightmare. Luckily she had not wakened her roommate. Looking at her watch, she realized she would only be allowed one more hour asleep before having to wake up to catch her boat back to England.

Silently getting up from her bed, she made her way to her packed bags in the corner. She pulled out fresh clothing, soap, and a towel, and made her way to the floor's common bathroom to take a long, hot shower.

As she let the hot water run down her back, she closed her eyes and just enjoyed the relaxing feeling it gave her muscles. She also thought about everything that had happened in the past year.

Coming home from Narnia.

Finishing high school, and starting college in a completely different continent.

Getting a 4.0 for the semester, thanks to the lifetime she already had in Narnia her first time there.

Never getting over Caspian, but just pushing the thoughts from her mind so she didn't have to think about him.

But now she was going home, and everything there reminded her of her knight in shining armor. She had committed everything she could about him to memory while she was with him. The way he sat, scratching his chin, when he was making a tough decision. The way he walked and how his body moved when he was charging into battle. The way his hair blew in that particular way in front of his eyes when he bent his head down while smiling at something only he understood. And finally, the way he smelled. This was her favorite smell. His scent was musky and strong, but she still found it soft and inviting. She would never forget that smell.

She smiled at her memories, trying not to think about never seeing him again. Lucy had told her once that she believed a love like this was meant to be together. But then she had reminded Lucy of what Aslan had said. They were not returning to Narnia.

Still, Susan could not get that _hope_ out of her system. She still felt it in the pit of her stomach, almost as if she was waiting for Aslan to bring her back to Narnia.

She shook her head and laughed at herself. She should know better than to think Aslan was going to bring her back.

Susan finally realized that the water beating down on her was beginning to turn cold. She turned the faucet until the water stopped falling from the shower head, and quickly wrapped a giant towel around her body. She stepped out of the shower, and began to brush her hair. She had kept it long, just like when she was in Narnia, and it was the same color.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She hadn't changed much from her last time in Narnia. She didn't grow any taller. Her face didn't change much. If anything she found more confidence in herself. Somehow, knowing the perfect man for her did in fact exist, it made her more confident and sure of herself, even if she was never to see him again.

While she was gathering her things together, she felt a breeze float across her bare shoulders. She looked up in to the mirror, a look of confusion on her face. There were no windows in the bathroom, and therefore thought there should be no draft. She looked around. The bathroom was empty this early in the morning. Suddenly, she felt a tug behind her navel. She knew this feeling.

"Magic…" she whispered to herself, hardly believing what was happening. After the initial tug, she felt her body being pulled away from the floor below her. The room was spinning, and she felt herself being pulled away, but she was not frightened. She knew where she was going to land when the spinning would stop. She could hardly contain her excitement. After a year of doubting ever seeing her home again, she was going back.

Suddenly, the spinning stopped, and Susan was standing on cold stone. She was barefoot, and her body still wet and wrapped in a towel from her shower. She opened her eyes. She recognized the room. She was standing in the council chambers in the Telmarine castle. The sun was rising over the horizon visible from the arched, tall windows against the eastern wall.

She heard a sigh of relief from behind her, and noticed who was in front of her.

Peter was standing in front of her, smiling broadly. It had been almost 4 months since they had seen each other. She smiled also, showing all her white, perfectly aligned teeth. Then she saw who was standing to his right.

He looked just the same as the last day she had set her eyes on him. He was still tall, dark, and gloriously handsome. She caught herself smiling even wider when they finally made eye contact, and it seemed to last an eternity.

After about a second of her being present in front of them, Peter realized that Susan was only in a towel, and coughed slightly, nodding his head towards her body. Instantly, Susan realized what Peter was implying, and she felt her cheeks and neck blush violently, along with Caspian's cheeks. She turned quickly on her heels, and he coughed and looked down to his feet, embarrassed that he had been gawking at her while she was practically naked in front of him.

But he couldn't help himself, and neither could she. In that instant, they both knew that they would feel the same about the other person, even if they didn't exactly know what the other was thinking.

Before the Embarrassed Susan could leave the room, she practically ran over her two younger siblings, who were giggling like small school children when they saw what happened between her and the Telmarine king. She scolded at them, but couldn't be too upset, because she hadn't seen them in a long while and missed them terribly.

While still facing Lucy and Edmund, and quickly asked, "As much as I would love to stand and have this reunion right now, I would very much like to put some clothing on," blushing violently again.

Peter tried to hold back a laugh, Caspian still looking at his feet, fighting hard to not stare at the lovely women in front of him. In this crazy situation, almost everyone forgot about Aslan, standing behind Peter and Caspian, and jumped a bit hearing his powerful voice.

"Your chambers are arranged, just as they were the last time you were here, Queen Susan. You will find anything you need in your room," Aslan informed her. She nodded her head and quickly left the room, leaving three giggling siblings and a very hot and bothered Caspian behind her.

On her way to her chambers, which were just down the hall from the Council room, she could hardly hold in her happiness to be back. She grinned widely and practically skipped in her towel all the way down to her room.

After getting to her room, and dressing in the same dress she had left Narnia in, merely for the irony of it, she looked herself over in the mirror. Her hair was straight, and pulled half up, the way she always had it during battles. The dress still fit perfectly, showing the skin on her shoulder, which was slightly paler during the winter back in her world. She had no make up on, and did not feel the need to put any on. She smiled at herself, hoping Caspian would like how she looked.

Finally satisfied with her appearance, she turned to leave the room, glancing at the large bed chambers on her way out. The king sized four posters bed was pushed up against the center of a wall, facing large archways that led out to a balcony, looking over the forests of Narnia. There was a large wardrobe that fit all her clothing, a large desk with writing utensils and parchment, a bookcase filled with her favorite books, all the furniture dark red, cherry wood, and the floor was grey stone, along with the walls. Hanging on a blank wall was a brilliant tapestry, reflecting the history of Narnia and its Kings and Queens of Old. Next to her desk was a large mirror, in which she had been looking at herself in. She felt like home in this room, and never wanted to leave. She pushed the thoughts of leaving Narnia as far out of her mind as possible. Susan wanted to believe that she would be able to stay in Narnia now, forever, and maybe even with Caspian.

Her heart fluttered just by thinking she was going to be spending time around him again. Deep in her mind, she hoped and prayed that he was as excited to see her as she was to see him. She did not want to show her excitement though when she saw him, even though her stomach did flips and butterflies flew everywhere in her abdomen, not just her stomach. Susan thought about what Amanda had told her…and was hoping, for her own sake, that maybe she was right.

Susan walked out of the room and headed back down to the Council chambers, hoping everyone was still there and she wouldn't have to go and find them in the large castle. As she turned to enter the room through the door way, a force slammed into her, wrapping around her tightly. It was Lucy. She was nearly as tall as Susan now, shorter by a little more than 3 inches.

"Lucy! Look at how tall you are now!" Susan said, hugging her little sister tightly.

"Susan! You look…the same, lovely as ever!" Lucy laughed, releasing her big sister, only for Edmund and Peter to both hug her at the same time. She smiled, glad that she was with her siblings again after not seeing them for an entire semester. After saying hello to her brothers, and smiling up at both of them now, for Edmund had also grown since she had seen him last, she looked at the man behind her brothers.

Caspian stood there, looking at her. His face was soft, and his expression was filled with joy, as his grin was from ear to ear, showing all his perfect teeth. His hair was still dark and rich, flowing just past his ears. He was wearing a simple outfit that, of course, showed of the strong body beneath it. His sword and sheath tide to his belt, just like Peter's and Edmunds were on their own. On top of his head was a gold and silver band, representing his crown that he was now to wear all the time when he was not wearing his full kingship crown. Susan remembered wearing hers back when she was a Queen of Narnia, and knew how terribly uncomfortable he must have felt.

She never left his eye contact, though. His eyes were still dark and absorbing; as if they held every secret she ever had or wanted to know. She felt herself smiling, and he walked towards her swiftly. She moved between her two brothers towards him. It took two large strides from him and a couple quick steps from her, until they were finally in each others arms again.

Susan's arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, and she smiled into his shoulder. Caspian wrapped his long arms around her smaller waist, lifting her into the air, and spinning her around once. He had set her feet on the floor, refusing to let her go. She didn't mind. Slowly, they pulled their shoulders back, so they could face each other, neither one of them unwrapping their arms from the other. Caspian smiled down at Susan, pushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. Susan blushed again, but never breaking the eye contact.

"I have missed you, Queen Susan," Caspian said, not being able to hold back his smile. He knew the moment he saw her, he would know what to do. And all he could do was smile and hold her in his arms. He never wanted to let her go again, and he would fight to be able to have her stay with him.

"And I have missed you, Caspian the Tenth," Susan said, eyes sparkling from the light outside. Caspian, still smiling, suddenly realized how much of an ogling idiot he must have looked like to everyone else in the room. But at that exact moment, he didn't care.

Susan also felt the eyes on her and Caspian, and decided it was better that they separate. She gently placed her hands on his chest and pushed slightly; turning so she was next to him, facing the 4 figures in front of her. Caspian was not happy about the separation either, but knew it was for the better at the moment, and was already planning on when he would see her again, but alone.

"Hello Aslan," Susan said, making her way to the giant lion, and placing her hand on the top of his shoulder blade, scratching slightly.

"Hello, my dear Susan. I apologize for bringing you back in the state you were in; I thought you and your siblings were together. I must be losing my touch," Aslan replied, smiling at Susan. Susan just smiled at the lion.

"It's alright, Aslan, I would come back like that as many times as you wanted, as long as I'm back in Narnia," she answered. Lucy giggled behind her.

"Trust me, Susan, it could have been worse," Lucy said, trying hard not to laugh. Susan looked at her quizzically, and noticed Edmund blushing furiously next to her, smacking her slightly in the arm. Peter was trying hard not to laugh either, saying "It's true, Su, could have been a LOT worse."

With this answer, the two of them burst out laughing. Susan had no idea what was going on.

"Alright, you hyenas, what's going on?" Susan said, noticing Edmund's blush growing redder and larger.

"Well, Susan, why don't you ask Edmund? I'm going to take a walk in the courtyard," Lucy said, walking towards the door. She figured that if he had to tell the story, at least there should be some privacy. Peter laughed and mumbled something about going for a ride with his new horse, and Caspian left the room with Aslan, speaking low and quiet about something that she couldn't pick up.

Susan turned after they all left and looked at Edmund.

"Ed, what's all this about? Why are you making Lucy and Peter giggle like small children?" Susan asked, sitting at one of the chairs around the large, oval table. Edmund, still blushing, sat next to her.

"Well, Aslan was right when he said he was losing his touch," Edmund started, "He brought me and Lucy back at the same time, Lucy was sleeping, and I, well, I was…" he hesitated to go on.

"Out with it, Edmund," Susan said, slightly annoyed at being left out of the story. Edmund looked down at his hands in his lap.

"Well, I was in my room, alone, when he pulled us here. And I was, um, enjoying my time alone…in my room…in bed…" Edmund hinted, looking up at his big sister. Susan's face, first, had a look of confusion, and slowly put the pieces together in her head, until she burst out with laughter.

"Edmund! You mean, you were…_masturbating_?!" she whispered the last word, slapping her hand over her mouth after she said it, in attempt to stop the giggles coming out of her mouth.

Looking more flustered than before, Edmund's expression showed nothing but embarrassment. "Yes! And I was right about to, you know, when I landed square on me feet here, in front of everyone!" Edmund practically shouted. Susan felt bad for her brother and patted his head. He looked back down at his hands. "I figured Peter or Lucy would have told you eventually anyways, just easier to get the embarrassment out now," he said. Susan smiled at him.

"It's alright, Edmund. No one will be thinking about this by the time tomorrow comes around," Susan assured him. Edmund smiled, and said thanks to her before standing up, hugging her, said something about going with Peter for a horse ride, and left the room. Susan smiled to herself. She missed her had missed her brothers and sister, and was glad to be back with them, even if she didn't know why she was back just yet.

Susan stood up to leave the room. Looking at the sun outside the windows, she figured it must have been around noon in Narnia. Her stomach rumbled slightly. It had been hours since she had eaten anything the night before, and she felt like she needed a snack. She left the room, and headed towards the castle's kitchens.

It wasn't long after she left the kitchen, apple in hand, that she found herself out in the courtyard, sitting on a bench near the same spot they had left Narnia only a year earlier.

She looked up at the tree they had walked through, almost frightened that if she got too close to it, she would be sent back to that train stop in England.

"Trust me, Susan; you won't be thrown back to your land if you go near the tree. I tried just seconds after you left that day," she heard a voice coming from behind her. She smiled slightly before turning her head, watching Caspian sit down on the bench next to her.

"You tried to come to England?" Susan asked. Caspian smiled down at her.

"Yes. I realized in that moment that I would rather be with you and your family than be left alone to run two countries," he replied, laughing slightly, looking up to the tree in front of them. The leaves were turning a lovely orange color, and the cool breeze around Susan indicated that it was autumn, and winter would be approaching soon.

"Aslan would never allow you to come. Your people needed you, and from what I can tell, you've been doing a fine job," Susan said, taking a large bite from her apple. Caspian's hand was on the bench next to where she was sitting, and she fought back the urge to take his hand in hers.

Almost as if he was reading her mind, Caspian's hand fell on top of hers on the bench. Their eyes met, and both of them knew, in that moment, everything to come would be difficult, challenging, violent, insane, and beautiful.

* * *

**Check it out: chapter after, only, like, 3 days!! Must be a new record for me! Thanks for reading my new chapter.**

**Just wanted to clear some stuff up:**

**I know in the first chapter I said Susan was going to the university right next to Oxford…well…pretend I never said that. I forgot about it when I was writing about Susan going to SLU. Other than that, I do hope you're enjoying the story. Reviews are most welcomed and encouraged. THANKS!!**

**Happy Reading.**

**Sam**


	7. Author's Note

Hello readers!

I'm sorry this is only an author's note, but I just wanted to let you know that now, after the holiday season, and after dealing with a death in my family, I am in the process of writing the next chapter of "Earthquake." I promise I have NOT given up on this story, and chapters should be coming pretty regularly from now on.

Thank you to those still sticking with me! And Thanks to Esyla, who constantly kicks my butt into the writing mood.

Happy writings, chapter coming soon!

Sam


	8. Chapter 8

Susan had been back in Narnia for only a few hours, but Caspian already found himself just as enthralled with her as he had been a year earlier. He tried to keep himself from thinking she would leave him again, but knew in the back of his mind that it was always a possibility. Also, he had to stay focused on the task at hand: the new threat of Lilith and Vandar against Narnia and its subjects. This was the reason Queen Susan was back, and he should keep it in the forefront of his mind. They needed to protect themselves and their people before the attack on their country, and they needed all the help and power they could gather.

He also remembered the conversation he and Peter had earlier in the week:

"_When Susan returns, do no hurt her," Peter said in a tone that was neither threatening nor angry, but almost pleading, which was unusual for him._

"_I would never hurt her, King Peter, you know this," Caspian replied. Peter nodded._

"_I know you would never mean to, Caspian, but there is a very good chance we will be leaving after this war. I don't think Aslan will let us stay again, even though I would beg for him to allow it. But I know how Susan feels about you. Just remember that."_

As much as it hurt him to think about it, Caspian knew that he had to ignore his feelings for Susan, and any feelings she might have in return. He figured that if she thought he did not feel the same way, she would not be as heartbroken to leave Narnia, again. He knew it would be hard on him, but it would make it easier for her to forget her home.

Caspian was pacing in his bed chambers when he felt a presence in the doorway. He glanced up quickly, and proceeded his pacing.

"You will be sending her back," Caspian said, more a statement than a question, walking out to his balcony to watch the sun set.

Aslan moved from his spot in the doorway and followed the king outside.

"I cannot answer that question for you, Caspian," Aslan replied, "Everything happens for a reason, but nothing happens the same way more than once."

"Then you will not be sending her back?!" Caspian said, looking intently at the lion, hoping he was understanding what Aslan was telling him.

"Queen Susan will always be where she is needed, whether it is here or back in her world. I would not keep her from those whom she can help."

Caspian looked back out onto the countryside outside his castle. He knew what Aslan said was true. The lion would not keep Susan from the people who needed her most. Caspian look at the lion who was now seated next to him out on the balcony as a thought crossed through his mind.

"What if it was I who needed her the most," he said, looking back out onto his country. Aslan sighed loudly.

"Caspian, you know I cannot leave her here if you needed her more than an entire society of people. If fate falls that way, then she can stay, if she chooses to. She will have to believe you need her more than her family."

The last statement struck a chord in Caspian's heart. He knew Susan would never leave her family, no matter how much anyone begged and pleaded, even if she would be the only one allowed to stay in Narnia.

The light autumn breeze touched Caspian's cheek, and he leaned into the wind, enjoying the last warm rays of the setting sun. He was trying to filter his thoughts and organize the growing chaos in his mind; the threat against the country, Susan returning, country diplomats, the pressure from his advisors to start worrying about an heir, and so on. It was no secret that he already had ideas about his last problem, but figured it was too soon to be thinking of such solutions.

"We must meet with your generals and leaders of the army to discuss what is to be done in preparations for the oncoming threat," Aslan said, breaking the silence, leading the two beings out of the room. Caspian was close on his heels, already creating strategies in his head.

"The Pevensie's will want to be there too," Caspian added, Aslan nodding at the statement.

"Yes. They do have crucial experience in war, their minds will only add to the wisdom at this table," Aslan said. Aslan continued to make small talk about the upcoming plans for the council, but Caspian was hardly paying him any attention. All he could think about was that Susan was back, and he wanted to cherish every moment he could with her, because he couldn't stand the thought of her leaving Narnia, leaving him, again.

* * *

Susan was heading towards the council's chambers, where they were to hold a meeting to update her and her siblings about what is going on. She had a strange feeling that something bad was about to happen, and she couldn't shake the image of her dream out of her head. All she could hear was Peter screaming, and the red sheet falling down in front of her eyes.

Lucy, walking besides her sister, could tell that Susan was thinking about something important, or frightening. She was chewing her bottom lip; a sign that she was figuring out a problem in her head. Lucy thought she knew what the problem was, and was worrying about the same thing.

"Aslan would not bring us back just to break our hearts again," Lucy said, trying to be optimistic. Susan smiled at Lucy. Deep inside her stomach she was feeling that tingling feeling again, she was feeling hope. She hoped she would be allowed to stay for the rest of her days, along with her brothers and sisters, and with Caspian. She also appreciated her little sister trying to cheer her spirits, even if it was not the complete picture of what she was worrying about.

Indeed, it would break her heart if she had to leave him again. She had already decided fate had brought them back together for a reason, and she wanted to find out what the reason was.

"I do believe you are right, Luc," Susan said, as they turned down the corridor and entered the council chambers. Peter, Edmund, Trumpkin, and Reepicheep, along with the other generals and authorities of the army, were already present. Aslan and Caspian were speaking quietly to each other in the corner, and the young king looked up when Susan entered the room.

Before Caspian could remember the promise he made himself, he caught himself smiling up at her, and she was shyly smiling back. He quickly looked away, and continued his conversation with Aslan. Susan also looked away; slightly confused as to why Caspian was quick to forget she was there.

Within moments of the final two women walking into the chambers, the councilmen placed themselves in their appropriate seats. The large, oval room, which was formally used by Caspian's twisted uncle, fit twenty Councilmen, with Caspian at the head of the room, and Peter at the other end. Caspian's seat, like the other seats, was made of solid cherry wood. It was carved with inscriptions of the ancient Talmarines, with the crest of his family at the top, resting above Caspian's head. Peter's chair was almost as large as Caspian's, but was carved as massive and powerful lion, looking down at its occupant, brought from Cair Paravel. Susan, whose chair was also brought from Cair Paravel and was carved with the trees of the Narnian forest, sat to the right of Peter, and Edmund on the left. Lucy sat to the right of Susan, next to Aslan. Glenstorm, the General of the Centaurs, sat to the right of Edmund, with Trumpkin at his right. Reepicheap sat to the right of Caspian, while Serafin, a Telmarine general, and Tohias, a councilmember, sat to the left of Caspian. Among the rest were generals and councilmen from both Telmar and Narnia, all ready to discuss the actions they were to take against Lilith and Vandar.

* * *

The meeting began as any other of the meetings would, except with the Pevensies present. It did not take long for the different opinions to be made obvious among the men in the room.

"We should attack first, gain the upper hand," Serafin practically shouted, slamming the arm of his chair with his fist. Caspian was rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. They had been going at this for almost two hours, and there was no end in sight. The debate seemed to be whether or not they should make the first attack.

"Impossible option, Councilmen Serafin. We do not even know where this land of Vandar is, much less the size of the land, the army size, and what they are even capable of! We should wait for them to attack, and build up our defenses in the meantime," Trumpkin spoke up in his usual grump tone. Peter and Caspian both looked at each other, they knew that this was the best approach, but both knew it would take some clever wording the get the entire council to go along with this idea.

Before either one of them could figure some sort of plan to speak, Susan spoke for them.

"General Trumpkin is absolutely correct. We cannot barge into their land without any knowledge of where it is, their battle style, or even an estimated size of their forces. I agree our best chance of winning is building up a strong and solid defense on the perimeter of our land," Susan spoke eloquently. Her tone was gentle, but firm enough to know that her word should be the final word, for it was the best plan on the table. Serafin opened his mouth as to say something, when Aslan interrupted.

"Queen Susan the Gentle speaks what is true. I agree with her knowledgeable and wise opinion," his powerful voice echoed through the room, and it had been the first thing he said through the entire meeting. Serafin shut his mouth, knowing there was no chance of stating his opinion. Peter looked at Susan and smiled. Smiling back at Peter, she glanced at Caspian, who looked at the arm of his chair, seemingly playing with a scrape on the claw at the end. Susan's smile faded. She wondered if he approved of her opinion, or had another plan. She also realized that he had avoided eye contact with her through the entire meeting thus far.

The rest of the meeting consisted of general plans on what forces to put where, and ideas for how to have more men in the country take part in the army. They needed as much strength and man power as possible. Caspian was trying hard not to think about Susan, sitting across the room from him, in a fresh blue and white dress that was simple, and amazingly elegant. Her dark hair was pulled up out of her face with pins, but cascaded down her back. When she spoke, he tried to listen to her words, and not just her voice. He had to keep telling himself to ignore her, but he couldn't. Caspian knew this was going to be difficult, but wanted it to be easier for her when she left. He also did not want to be heartbroken when she left him again.

At the end of the meeting, it was decided that they had to train the army with new maneuvers and tactics that might be used in battle. They also decided on sending spies to Vandar in attempts to catch a glimpse of the army. Caspian walked alongside Peter out of the room, again, avoiding Susan at all costs.

Susan did not pursue Caspian, although she wanted to. Her head was telling her that maybe she was wrong, and Caspian did not return the feelings she had for him. Through the meeting, she was trying to stay involved and not think about what he was thinking, and why he seemed to be avoiding her. Not wanting to jump to conclusions, she stayed behind to discuss more with Glenstorm about what steps should be taken to build his division. The distance that seemed to be growing between them, even within the few short hours that Susan had been there, had not gone unnoticed.

Lucy had witnessed what had been going on throughout the meeting. She saw Caspian's quick glances at her sister, and then him looking down quickly, as if he was scolding himself. Lucy knew when Susan was bothered; she would sit up higher in her chair, and her chin higher than ever, trying to emphasize her strengths. Lucy had, in that moment, decided it would be her mission to get to the bottom of what was going on.

* * *

It was mid afternoon when the meeting had let out. Edmund and Peter had decided on a walk through the stables to look at the war horses and to decide how to organize them accordingly among the troops and officers. Trumpkin and Reepicheap went to their own troops to inform their men on what was going on and to start organizing themselves immediately. Glenstorm and Lucy went to the forest to have a council of their own with the leaders of the creatures of old Narnia, and to inform them of the impending plans.

Susan decided to go out to the archery field to practice her mastery talent. She quickly tied all her hair behind her head, grabbed her ivory bow and a quiver of arrows, and headed to the nearest target lane. The field was a rich green, and the grass was just tall enough to tickle her toes in her sandals. The lanes were painted with white lines, measuring the distance from the archer to the target, with the tree line behind the targets. She had spent many hours out here the last two times she had been in Narnia, and she never tired of the sound of the wind and the arrows flying through the air.

She focused on the target, nearly 150 yards away, and pulled back on the string. She controlled her breathing, relaxed her shoulders, and looked down the arrow. As always, time seemed to slow slightly, and everything was focused on the arrow. She let go of the string, and heard a slight thud after a moment, only to find the arrow dead center of the target.

"Archery has always been your strength," Aslan said, walking up behind her. Susan smiled.

"Thank you, Aslan. I would still like to find Father Christmas and thank him again for his gift," Susan said, looking down at her fantastic bow, remembering the day Father Christmas had blessed each one of them with a gift. The horn she had received was, as always, hanging from her belt at her hip.

"Father Christmas is hard to find these days. He is a busy man since you four brought back hope to Narnia," Aslan smiled, nudging Susan to continue practicing her archery.

Susan grabbed another arrow from the quiver, and shot again. Bulls-eye. Susan smiled.

"I would also like to practice my swordsmanship. I think it's become a tad rusty these days," Susan said, placing her bow back where she had gotten it from.

"Caspian should be able to help you with that, or Peter. Both or excellent swordsman," Aslan replied. He knew what he was implying, and that Susan was following along.

"I think Peter would be more willing to spar with me," Susan replied, trying to disguise the disappointment in her voice.

"I will call upon one of them to join you out here," Aslan said, turning back and heading to the castle. Susan knew Aslan was not blind, nor was he stupid. There was something going on between the two, and he wanted it dealt with before the battle was to begin. Susan began to brace herself. She was determined to act like nothing was bothering her when Caspian came out to the field.

While equipping herself for a sparring match, she heard someone coming up from behind her.

"Aslan asked me to come out and help you freshen up on your sword skills," Peter said, grabbing the closest sword, not bothering with protective gear.

Susan was more relieved than she had ever been in her life.

"Oh, Peter, thank god. I thought Aslan was going to send out Caspian," Susan said, grabbing her favorite sword from the rack. Peter gave her a quizzical look.

"Thank God? I would have figured you'd prefer Caspian out here with you," Peter said, taking a stance from across his sister. She was first to strike, a blow almost hitting the side of his head. He quickly parried the blow and knocked the sword out of the way.

"I more believe he'd prefer to not be around me," Susan replied, this time blocking a strike from Peter. The two seemed to be dancing around each other.

"Why would you think that?" he asked, ducking under her sword.

"You haven't noticed? He's been avoiding me all day," Susan replied, spinning to avoid a stab, and wheeling her sword towards Peter's torso.

Peter swiveled his sword between his body and her sword, also coming to a quick conclusion in his head, "well, Su, it could have been something I said…"

Susan, almost tripped over her own feet hearing what her brother was saying, "Peter, are you telling me you told him to avoid me?! What a classic 'big brotherly' thing to do!" she yelled, fiercely knocking Peter behind his knees, making him fall to the ground.

"That is not what I said!" Peter groaned out, quickly rolling over and back up to his feet, "I only told him not to hurt you is all…and I think he's taking it differently as I implied." Peter looked sheepishly at her sister, who he could tell was trying to keep her anger from boiling over. She sheathed her sword, quickly walked over to him, and slapped him on the back of the skull.

"I don't care if you are High King Peter of Narnia. You will mind your own business from now on!" She scolded him, nearly shoving her finger up his nose. Peter, rubbing this back of his head, nodded. Susan took off the equipment, not without throwing a shin guard at her brother, and stormed towards the castle.

"For what it's worth, you're not too shabby with a sword!" Peter called after her, trying not to laugh.

"Oh sod off!" he heard her reply. Peter smiled to himself. He knew, even if others didn't, that something good was going to come from this…that is, if they all made it through the month, alive.

* * *

**Sorry about the re-post, but I caught something I wanted to change right after I put it up, so I fixed it, and now all is well. **

**So, another chapter up, and another soon to come, hopefully. I told you all I was working on it and I had not abandoned it! And I plan on writing more often, so get used to it please. Thanks to all the loyal readers! And as always, reviews are most welcomed and encouraged!**

**Sam**


	9. Another Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Alright. I know it's been almost a year since I've updated this story, but I'm actually working on the new chapter as we speak! I finally have some free time to keep writing, so I plan on finishing this story and keep updating frequently. Please bare with me!

I'm also re-writing chapter 9, I don't it. And I want the story to go in a different direction. So please re-read the story if you must, and forget about chapter 9, I need more drama

Happy reading, and I'm exciting to see what comes out of my brain and onto paper!!!

Cheers

Sam


	10. Chapter 10

It had been almost two whole days since the Pevensies arrived in Narnia. The army was preparing and training for the upcoming battle with the warriors of Vandar. Every assumption had to be made about the new threat to the country. Caspian and Peter wasted no time in scheduling training sessions with the Calvary, and Susan proceeded to set up more archery ranges in which her troops could practice. As always, Susan would lead the archers, hopefully gaining Narnia the upper hand in battle. Peter and Caspian would lead the footman and horsemen of Telmare, and Edmund and Lucy would ride in the sky with the Eagles.

Preparations were being made, and the council was in session more than ever.

"Our army grows stronger everyday," Serafin stated. It was another meeting about plans of the battle. Serafin, the young general who had grown up training alongside Caspian, believed that the Telmare and Narnian army would be strong enough to meet the Vandar army on more neutral grounds. "Why wait here like sitting ducks when we have the power to defeat them further away from the people of this country?" he argues.

Susan, again sitting to the right of her brother, felt the need to speak up. "Because we still don't know what kind of army we are dealing with, Serafin. I have heard of your great deeds in the battles that you have fought in, but just bravery and headstrong actions cannot guarantee us a victory against Lilith."

"Queen Susan is right," Peter proclaimed, looking over to his sister, "And even I can admit that, as much as I don't want to. We have no experience with this army, and for all we know, we could still be greatly outnumbered." Serafin rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

"We have the largest army we have ever known in our history, it would be impossible to outnumber us," Serafin practically mumbled. He looked at Queen Susan, contemplating what she had said earlier. It was true, she was a lovely woman, and could draw every man's attention with the fluttering of her eyes. He found himself unable to argue against her further. Instead, an idea formed in his head.

Slowly sitting upwards, everyone, including Susan, could practically see the light bulb of an idea floating above his head.

"Spies," was all he said. Caspian looked to his friend and army general.

"Spies?" Caspian repeated, leaning in his chair to look directly at the man.

"Yes, we send spies to this Vandar, and see if we cannot get a look at what we might be up against," Serafin explained.

Caspian contemplated the idea for a moment. "Spies…sent to see the other army…Serafin, this is a fine idea," Caspian proclaimed, now sitting upright in his seat. If spies could even catch a glimpse of the army, it would only help them in preparing for what was about to come.

Glenstorm, to the left of Caspian spoke up. "I have centaurs under my command who could swiftly travel the lands, they are trained navigators and could find this land using the stars." Caspian nodded to his head centaur.

"Excellent, then it is settled. Have your men leave immediately, and tell them that the Kings and Queens of Narnia and I want a full report upon their return," Caspian said, standing from his seat. The council meeting for this day was over, even though all the members knew that tomorrow would only bring more planning and problems to solve.

Caspian had still been avoiding Susan, and had made little eye contact with her again in this meeting. Susan was becoming use to the pain she felt knowing that he was trying so hard to ignore her…or maybe it wasn't difficult for him at all…

As she was walking towards the chamber doors, thinking about Caspian's avoidance of her, she hadn't heard someone trying to catch up with her.

"I am truly sorry for acting like a child when you argued against my idea," a strong voice coming from next to her said. Susan almost jumped, not realizing that Serafin was now walking alongside her, and holding the chamber door open, allowing her to exit.

"After dealing with the High King Peter and King Edmund for over a lifetime, it hardly bothers me anymore," she replied, smiling at the young general. Serafin, although not as tall as Caspian, was still a good four or five inches taller than Susan. His hair was dark, but long hours training in the Narnian sun had put lighter streaks in his hair, almost a dark copper tone. His eyes surprised the queen, since they were an electric blue, unlike the dark chocolate eyes that Caspian had.

True, Serafin was handsome and strong. She could not deny that he was attractive, and for a moment, she allowed herself to acknowledge it. She appreciated his height, and how his shoulders were broad, and arms were strong from wielding a broadsword since childhood. His body was the production of a soldier's training, and his mind from years of schooling and training as a commander in battle. If Susan had not been so smitten with Caspian, she would find this man to be perfectly suitable for her.

And then something clicked. Caspian was ignoring her. She had barely spoken to him since she arrived in Narnia. True, planning for battle had taken time away from her social engagements, but she knew that he was avoiding her. Maybe becoming friends with Serafin would be good for her, and would help make things easier in council meetings.

As this idea clicked in her head, Serafin just replied with a deep laugh. "Yes, I could see King Peter arguing with reason," he replied, looking down at Susan. She nodded, and continued walking down the castle hall. It was just past noon, and the sun was high in the sky. The air had become cooler recently, implying the changing season was coming. The stone hallway on one side had a stone wall, lined with paintings and tapestries showing Telmare history and stories. On the other side, large archways the started at the floor and reached to the ceiling lined the hall, and leading out to a balcony so one could enjoy the weather.

Serafin walked alongside Susan, holding his hands behind his back. He could not take his eyes away from the Queen for too long, he believed she was indeed a beauty.

"You suggestion of spies today impressed me, General," Susan continued, looking up at the general next to her. She tried to keep herself from smiling too much at the handsome man. She was still thinking about Caspian, but knew that she should try to move on from the idea of being together. She thought that Serafin might be useful for that.

"Thank you, your highness," he replied, smiling down at her.

"Susan," she said, "You may call me Susan. You don't have to think of me as a Queen here, King Caspian is the royalty now, my siblings and I are now merely Council Members and assisting in battle," Susan said, losing her smile. Mentioning Caspian as the King, and herself as merely a general somehow struck pain in her heart. She did not see herself marrying any time soon, but finally admitting she would not be Queen again, because she would never be with Caspian, had hurt.

Susan turned and walked out along the balcony of the hallway, still not more than 30 feet away from the council doors they had just left. She had walked slowly, hopefully to enjoy the weather and the few moments she was spending with Serafin. He followed her to the ledge.

"Serafin," he replied with a nod of his head. Susan smiled and nodded. "And you will always be a Queen here. You have a commanding era about you, there is no denying you as royalty, even if Caspian is the one in charge," he said, looking out onto the country. Susan smiled. She knew that he would flatter her, but she did not know how much she would enjoy it until now.

"Well, thank you, Serafin. You make a fine general, and I'm sure you will be a warlord someday. I have read about your accomplishments on the battle field. You fight with the power and bravery of a lion," Susan said, turning to face the general standing next to her. A light breeze had developed, blowing the tips of Serafin's long hair about his face. Yes, he was handsome indeed.

"I just do my job," Serafin replied, looking at the Queen. He was still smiling. Susan wondered if he was already to be married, or if he had known about the history between herself and Caspian.

"And you do it well. I hope that you and I will have a chance to train together, and plan battle tactics," Susan said. She headed back towards the long hall of the castle. Serafin followed.

"I'm sure that the opportunity will arrive," he replied, "but for now, I must meet with members of my commanding officers. Until I see you again," he concluded, reaching for Susan's hand. They made eye contact with each other, as he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. Susan felt something as they had looked in each others eyes. It was not the same as when she looked at Caspian, but she felt something…strange.

"Until then," she replied, and walked down the hall, heading to the stables. Serafin smiled, and walked the other direction down the hall. Susan could not contain her smile, and quickly glanced behind her, only to realize that Serafin was doing the same, watching each other walk down the hall.

Susan quickly looked back in front of her. Yes, Caspian would always own her heart, but maybe there was a way to make the pain she felt for him decrease. Maybe she could find companionship elsewhere. Serafin was a fine man. A general in a powerful army, handsome, a council member, and would be able to protect and provide. She did not plan on becoming serious about anything while in Narnia, but she had to plan in case she would be able to stay this time.

Maybe she could finally move on from Caspian, if she had help.

What she did not realize was that Caspian had heard and watched them. He had been walking behind Susan to leave the chambers, when he saw Serafin catch up to the Queen. Caspian was curious, so had listened closely to the conversation, and had seen that Serafin kissed her hand, and Susan would not stop smiling.

All he could do was feel.

He felt pain, misery, jealousy, love, and a swarm of emotions flood his mind. He knew that he was in love with Susan, and he had always prayed she felt the same way back. But after watching the exchange between the Queen and his General, he felt his hope fade. How would she be able to flirt to another man if she had loved him? True, he had been avoiding her; he was protecting her, and himself, from possible heartbreak if she was to leave again.

Caspian knew he should not be jealous. He had given up trying to be with Susan, Aslan had even told him that she might not be staying. He knew that it would not be fair to her for them to fall in love only to have her ripped away again.

He should let Susan and Serafin be.

And with that thought, he felt something in the pit of his stomach. Hope. He wanted Susan, even if he couldn't have her.

**Alright, FINALLY. After almost a YEAR of silence, I have written another chapter. I promise to not make you wait a year for the next one, but reviews don't hurt **

**I've finally made the outline to the plot of my story, so hopefully writing will be smooth from here on out. Happy Readings!**

**Ciao!  
Sam**


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